High-dose omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation might be more superior than low-dose for major depressive disorder in early therapy period: a network meta-analysis

Luo et al. (2020) conducted a network meta-analysis comparing the efficacy of different dosages of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) from an early period. Using the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases, the researchers extracted randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exploring the efficacy of n-3 PUFA supplementation for adult (>18 years old) MDD patients with no comorbidities. A total of 910 MDD patients in 10 trials with three adjuvant therapy strategies (high-dose n-3 PUFAs, low-dose n-3 PUFAs and placebo) were included. Pairwise meta-analysis revealed that n-3 PUFAs were superior to placebos, while network meta-analysis demonstrated that both the high and low doses of n-3 PUFAs were better than placebos, and that the efficacy of high-dose n-3 PUFAs is superior compared to low-dose. Although additional head-to-head clinical trials need to be carried out to support these findings, this meta-analysis showed that high dose n-3 PUFA supplementation may be superior to the low-dose in the early therapy period of MDD patients. [NPID: psychiatric disorders, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, n-3 PUFA, Major Depressive Disorder, MDD]

Year: 2020

Reference: Luo, X. D., Feng, J. S., Yang, Z., Huang, Q. T., Lin, J. D., Yang, B., Su, K. P., & Pan, J. Y. (2020). High-dose omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation might be more superior than low-dose for major depressive disorder in early therapy period: a network meta-analysis. BMC psychiatry, 20(1), 248. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02656-3