EPA
Omega 3 and Unipolar Depression Disorder
Addition of omega-3 fatty acid
to maintenance medication treatment for recurrent unipolar depression disorder
by
Nemets B, Stahl Z, Belmaker RH.
Ministry of Health Mental Health Center,
Faculty of Health Sciences,
Ben Gurion University of the Negev,
Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Am J Psychiatry 2002 Mar;159(3):477-9
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Studies have reported that countries with high
rates of fish oil consumption have low rates of unipolar depression disorder.
The authors studied a specific omega-3 fatty acid, the ethyl ester of eicosapentaenoic
acid (E-EPA), as an adjunct to treatment for depressive episodes occurring in
patients with recurrent unipolar depression disorder who were receiving maintenance
antidepressant therapy. METHOD: Twenty patients with a current diagnosis of
major depressive disorder participated in a 4-week, parallel-group, double-blind
addition of either placebo or E-EPA to ongoing antidepressant therapy. Seventeen
of the patients were women, and three were men. RESULTS: Highly significant
benefits of the addition of the omega-3 fatty acid compared with placebo were
found by week 3 of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: It is not possible to distinguish
whether E-EPA augments antidepressant action in the manner of lithium or has
independent antidepressant properties of its own.
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