title: Addition of omega-3 fatty acid to maintenance medication treatment for recurrent unipolar depressive disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies have reported that countries with high rates of fish oil consumption have low rates of depressive disorder. The authors studied a specific omega-3 fatty acid, the ethyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid (E-EPA), as an adjunct to treatment for depressive episodes occurring in patients with recurrent unipolar depressive disorder who were receiving maintenance antidepressant therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients with a current diagnosis of major depressive disorder participated in a 4-week, parallel-group, double-blind addition of either placebo or E-EPA to ongoing antidepressant therapy. Seventeen of the patients were women, and three were men.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Highly significant benefits of the addition of the omega-3 fatty acid compared with placebo were found by week 3 of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is not possible to distinguish whether E-EPA augments antidepressant action in the manner of lithium or has independent antidepressant properties of its own.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health Mental Health Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nemets
authors.forename: Ziva
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Belmaker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D010919:Placebos; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D010919:Placebos; C035276:eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid