Is antioxidant and n-3 supplementation able to improve functional status in poststroke patients? Results from the Nutristroke Trial.
BACKGROUND
To test whether supplementary antioxidants and n-3 fatty acids, alone or in combination, could improve functional status in stroke survivors.


METHODS
We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 72 stroke patients (47 males; age 65.3 +/- 12.9 years) admitted to a rehabilitation hospital for sequelae of first-ever ischemic stroke, and divided them into 4 subgroups. Group 1 patients received daily oral antioxidants, group 2 received n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, group 3 both supplements, and group 4 placebo, all for 12 months. No difference at baseline was observed among groups in neurological severity or in disability. All measures were repeated after 6 and 12 months of treatment. All major clinical events were recorded.


RESULTS
At baseline, 25% of the patients had a low plasma vitamin status, and 48.5% was at risk of undernutrition. At the 1-year follow-up, we observed a trend for lower mortality (p = 0.060) in subgroups treated with n-3 fatty acids, but without significant differences in rehabilitation result status among groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Malnutrition is widely observed in patients admitted to a rehabilitative hospital for stroke rehabilitation, and dietary supplementation, even if not able to improve rehabilitation results, is likely to reduce mortality at the 1-year follow-up.
Garbagnati
F
F
Centro Studi Alimentazione e Riabilitazione, IRCCS Fondazione S. Lucia, Rome, Italy. cesar@hsantalucia.it
Cairella
G
G
De Martino
A
A
Multari
M
M
Scognamiglio
U
U
Venturiero
V
V
Paolucci
S
S
D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D009752:Nutritional Status; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
D000975:Antioxidants; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3