Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research (May 2023)

Effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation for patients with osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis

  • Wen Deng,
  • Zhiqian Yi,
  • Enzhi Yin,
  • Rui Lu,
  • Hongbo You,
  • Xuefeng Yuan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-023-03855-w
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Abstract Background Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) confers anti-inflammatory efficacy, which has been suggested to be effective for patients with osteoarthritis (OA). However, previous studies evaluating the influence of n-3 PUFAs supplementation in patients with OA showed inconsistent results. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the influence of n-3 PUFAs on symptom and joint function of patients with OA. Methods Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were obtained by searching PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. A random-effects model was employed to combine the results. Results Nine RCTs with 2070 patients with OA contributed to the meta-analysis. Pooled results showed that n-3 PUFAs supplementation could significantly relieve the arthritis pain as compared to placebo (standardized mean difference [SMD]: − 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] − 0.47 to − 0.11, p = 0.002, I 2 = 60%). Besides, supplementation with n-3 PUFAs was also associated with improved joint function (SMD: − 0.21, 95% CI − 0.34 to − 0.07, p = 0.002, I 2 = 27%). Subgroup analysis showed consistent results of studies with arthritis pain and joint function evaluated by the Western Ontario-McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index and other scales (p for subgroup difference = 0.33 and 0.34, respectively). No severe treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were observed in the included patients, and the incidence of overall AEs was similar between groups (odds ratio: 0.97, 95% CI 0.64–1.45, p = 0.86, I 2 = 0%). Conclusions Supplementation of n-3 PUFAs is effective to relieve pain and improve joint function in patients with OA.

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