Rheumatoid arthritis: Omega 3 EPA facilitates its remission

Omega-3s would be able to counteract the progression of rheumatoid arthritis; with each 1% increase in EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) concentration in plasma, a 12% increase in the likelihood of disease remission is associated.

This is the result of research conducted by a group of researchers at the University of Adelaide (Australia) and published in the British Journal of Nutrition in recent months.

Rheumatoid arthritis: an autoimmune disease that can lead to disability

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects the joints, but can also affect other organs and tissues. The disease causes progressive joint damage to both bone and cartilage. 

The resulting joint deformation results in a loss of functional joint capacity to the point of disability. The cause of RA is unknown, but it is believed that various immunological mechanisms are altered in the course of the disease inducing an autoimmune reaction and inflammation. Since there is no definitive cure, the goal of treatments is to reduce symptoms and improve disability through appropriate and timely therapy. 

Drugs aimed at reducing the inflammatory action of a molecule called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) have revolutionized the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, and omega-3 fatty acids appear to play a role in this pathway. In fact, it was more than 20 years ago that a study by Geusens and his colleagues at the University of Pellenberg in Belgium showed that intake of about 2.5 grams of omega-3 per day was associated with significant clinical benefits among patients by allowing them to reduce drug use.

Treatment with high doses of omega-3 facilitates disease remission

As part of the Australian study, patients who had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis within the previous 12 months were selected. One group was given a daily low-dose omega-3 treatment consisting of 0.21 grams of EPA and 0.19 grams of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), while another group was prescribed 3.2 grams of EPA and 2.3 grams of DHA daily. 

Blood omega-3 concentrations were found to be superimposable between the high-dose and low-dose treated subjects although mean concentrations were higher in the high-dose group. The results of the analysis showed that the plasma concentration of EPA was correlated with the time to disease remission; a unit increase in EPA (1 percent of total fatty acids) was associated with a 12 percent increase in the probability of remission during the study period, and with decreased failure of the drug therapy used. These findings confirm data from research published in 2012, which analyzed 10 studies of patients with RA, which showed reduced consumption of anti-inflammatory drugs in patients who took 2.7 grams of omega-3 per day for more than 3 months.

Omega-3s protect joint health

The data obtained from this study highlight how omega-3s can protect joint health through their anti-inflammatory action. The results also highlight, as written by the authors of the research themselves, that omega-3 biomarkers, particularly EPA in plasma, could provide the possibility of predicting the results of pharmaceutical treatments in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. 

Source: Proudman SM, Cleland LG, Metcalf RG, Sullivan TR, Spargo LD, James MJ. Plasma n-3 fatty acids and clinical outcomes in recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis. 2015 Br J Nutr doi: 10.1017/S0007114515002718 other sources: Geusens P, Wouters C, Nijs J, Jiang Y, Dequeker J. Long-term effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in active rheumatoid arthritis. 1994 Athrit Rheumatol doi: 10.1002/art.1780370608 Lee Y-H, Bae S-C, Song G-G. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A meta-analysis. 2012 Arch Med Res doi: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2012.06.011