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This Article Full Text (Publish Ahead of Print[PDF]) All Versions of this Article: 89/2/641    most recent ajcn.2008.26749v1 Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lucas, M. Articles by Dodin, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lucas, M. Articles by Dodin, S. Agricola Articles by Lucas, M. Articles by Dodin, S.

Ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid for the treatment of psychological distress and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial^1,2,3

¹ From the Lucie and André Chagnon Chair for the Teaching of an Integrated Approach in Prevention, Laval University, Saint-François d'Assise Hospital (CHUQ), Quebec, Canada (ML, GA, and SD); the Department of Psychiatry, Robert Giffard Research Centre, Laval University, Quebec, Canada (CM and M-JP); and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Laval University, Quebec, Canada (SD).

² Supported by the Lucie and André Chagnon Chair for the Teaching of an Integrated Approach in Prevention, Laval University. Omega-3 capsules and matching placebo for the study were provided by Isodis Natura (Brussels, Belgium).

³ Reprints not available. Address correspondence to M Lucas, Lucie and André Chagnon Chair for the Teaching of an Integrated Approach in Prevention, Laval University, Saint-François d'Assise Hospital (CHUQ), 45 Leclerc Street, Room D6-701, Quebec, Canada G1L 2G1. E-mail: michel.lucas{at}crchul.ulaval.ca.

ABSTRACT

Background: Psychological distress (PD) and depressive symptoms are commonly observed during menopausal transition. Studies suggest that omega-3 (n–3) fatty acids may help alleviate depression.

Objective: The objective was to compare enriched ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid (E-EPA) supplementation with placebo for the treatment of PD and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women.

Design: Women with moderate-to-severe PD (n = 120) were randomly assigned to receive 1.05 g E-EPA/d plus 0.15 g ethyl-docosahexaenoic acid/d (n = 59) or placebo (n = 61) for 8 wk. The main outcomes were 8-wk changes in PD scores [Psychological General Well-Being Schedule (PGWB)] and depressive scales [20-item Hopkins Symptom Checklist Depression Scale (HSCL-D-20) and the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-21)].

Results: At baseline, women with PD were mildly to moderately depressed, and 24% met the major depressive episode (MDE) criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition. After 8 wk, outcomes improved in both groups, but no significant differences were noted between them. Stratification analyses for MDE diagnosis at baseline indicated that differences in adjusted 8-wk changes between the E-EPA group without MDE (n = 46) and the placebo group (n = 45) were 8.0 (95% CI: 0.6, 15.3; P = 0.034) for the PGWB, –0.2 (95% CI: –0.01, –0.4; P = 0.040) for the HSCL-D-20, and –2.7 (95% CI: –0.3, –5.1; P = 0.030) for the HAM-D-21. Differences in adjusted 8-wk changes between the E-EPA group with MDE (n = 13) and the placebo group (n = 16) were not significant.

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first trial of n–3 supplementation in the treatment of PD and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women. In women with PD without MDE at baseline, the 8-wk changes in PD and depressive scales improved significantly more with E-EPA than with placebo. This trial was registered at http://www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN69617477.

Received for publication July 25, 2008. Accepted for publication November 13, 2008.