title: Omega-3 fatty acids in major depressive disorder.
abstract: Patients with major depressive disorder have high rates of cardiovascular disease and other medical comorbidity. Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly those found in fish and seafood, have cardiovascular health benefits and may play an adjunctive role in the treatment of mood disorders. However, existing studies on omega-3 fatty acids in depression have limitations such as small sample sizes and a wide variance in study design, and results regarding efficacy are mixed. The preponderance of data from placebo-controlled treatment studies suggests that omega-3 fatty acids are a reasonable augmentation strategy for the treatment of major depressive disorder. More research is necessary before omega-3 supplements can be recommended as monotherapy for the treatment of depression. For many individuals with major depressive disorder, augmentation with omega-3 fatty acids should be considered, as general health benefits are well established and adjunctive use is low risk.
authors.affiliation: Center for Women's Mental Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Simches Research Building, 185 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114, USA. mfreeman@partners.org
authors.forename: Marlene P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Freeman
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils