Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status in major depressive disorder with comorbid anxiety disorders.
BACKGROUND
Although lower levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are found in major depressive disorder, less is known about PUFA status and anxiety disorders.


METHODS
Medication-free participants with DSM-IV-defined major depressive disorder (MDD), with (n = 18) and without (n = 41) comorbid DSM-IV anxiety disorders, and healthy volunteers (n = 62) were recruited from October 2006 to May 2010 for mood disorder studies at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Participants were 18-73 years of age (mean age, 35.8 ± 12.6 years). Depression and anxiety severity was assessed using depression and anxiety subscales from the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Plasma PUFAs eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) and the ratio of arachidonic acid (AA; 22:4n-6) to EPA (AA:EPA) were quantified. This secondary analysis employed analysis of variance with a priori planned contrasts to test for diagnostic group differences in log-transformed PUFA levels (logDHA, logEPA, and logAA:EPA).


RESULTS
Plasma levels of logDHA (F(2,118) = 4.923, P = .009), logEPA (F(2,118) = 6.442, P = .002), and logAA:EPA (F(2,118) = 3.806, P = .025) differed across groups. Participants with MDD had lower logDHA (t(118) = 2.324, P = .022) and logEPA (t(118) = 3.175, P = .002) levels and higher logAA:EPA levels (t(118) = -2.099, P = .038) compared with healthy volunteers. Lower logDHA (t(118) = 2.692, P = .008) and logEPA (t(118) = 2.524, P = .013) levels and higher logAA:EPA levels (t(118) = -2.322, P = .022) distinguished anxious from nonanxious MDD. Depression severity was not associated with PUFA plasma levels; however, anxiety severity across the entire sample correlated negatively with logDHA (r(p) = -0.22, P = .015) and logEPA (r(p) = -0.25, P = .005) levels and positively with logAA:EPA levels (r(p) = 0.18, P = .043).


CONCLUSIONS
The presence and severity of comorbid anxiety were associated with the lowest EPA and DHA levels. Further studies are needed to elucidate whether omega-3 PUFA supplementation may preferentially alleviate MDD with more severe anxiety.
Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Joanne J
JJ
Liu
Hanga C
HC
Galfalvy
Thomas B
TB
Cooper
Maria A
MA
Oquendo
Michael F
MF
Grunebaum
J John
JJ
Mann
M Elizabeth
ME
Sublette
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3