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Omega-3 supplementation on inflammatory markers in patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy: a randomized clinical
Paula Simplício da Silva1, Mauro Felippe Felix Mediano2, Gilberto Marcelo Sperandio da Silva2
1Serviço de Nutrição, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. paula.simplicio@ini.fiocruz.br.
Insights
Omega-3 fatty acids supplementation improved lipid and inflammatory markers in patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy. This study found benefits in triglycerides and IL-10 levels, suggesting a potential therapeutic role.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Immunology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Chagas disease cardiomyopathy involves immunoregulatory dysfunction.
- Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) modulate inflammatory markers in cardiopathies.
- No prior studies investigated omega-3 supplementation in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of omega-3 PUFAs on inflammation and lipid profiles.
- To assess omega-3 PUFAs as a potential intervention for chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.
Main Methods:
- Single-center, double-blind clinical trial.
- 42 patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy randomly assigned to omega-3 PUFAs (1.8g EPA, 1.2g DHA) or placebo (corn oil) for 8 weeks.
- Evaluated cytokines, glucose, lipid, and anthropometric profiles.
Main Results:
- Omega-3 PUFAs group showed significant improvements in serum triglycerides compared to placebo (-21.1 vs. -4.1; p=0.05).
- Significant improvements in IL-10 levels were observed in the omega-3 PUFAs group (-10.6 vs. -35.7; p=0.01).
- No other significant differences were noted between groups after 8 weeks.
Conclusions:
- Omega-3 PUFAs supplementation may positively impact lipid and inflammatory profiles in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.
- Observed decreases in triglycerides and improvements in IL-10 suggest a beneficial effect.
- Further research is needed to explore the clinical impact of omega-3 fatty acids in this patient population.
Background:
Several studies have been focusing on the effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on modulation of inflammatory markers in several cardiopathies. Although immunoregulatory dysfunction has been associated to the chronic cardiac involvement in Chagas disease, there is no study examining the effects of omega-3 supplementation in these patients. We investigated the effects of omega-3 PUFAs on markers of inflammation and lipid profile in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy patients.
Methods:
The present study was a single-center double-blind clinical trial including patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive omega-3 PUFAs capsules (1.8g EPA and 1.2g DHA) or placebo (corn oil) during an 8-week period. Cytokines, fasting glucose, lipid, and anthropometric profiles were evaluated.
Results:
Forty-two patients (23 women and 19 men) were included in the study and there were only two losses to follow-up during the 8-week period. Most of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were similar between the groups at baseline, except for the cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17α, and IFNγ. The omega-3 PUFAs group demonstrated greater improvements in serum triglycerides (-21.1 vs. -4.1; p = 0.05) and IL-10 levels (-10.6 vs. -35.7; p = 0.01) in comparison to controls after 8 weeks of intervention. No further differences were observed between groups.
Conclusion:
Omega-3 PUFAs supplementation may favorably affect lipid and inflammatory profile in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy patients, demonstrated by a decrease in triglycerides and improvements on IL-10 concentration. Further studies examining the clinical effects of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy are necessary.
Trial Registration:
NCT01863576.
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