Omega-3 'of no use for depressed heart patients'

Washington, Oct 21 (ANI): Researchers have found that use of omega-3 fatty acid supplement along with antidepressant therapy doesn't improve depression in heart patients.

The new study counters previous findings that augmentation with omega-3 fatty acids improves the efficacy of antidepressants in depressed psychiatric patients.

During the study, lead researcher Dr Robert M. Carney, of Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis and his team conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to examine whether omega-3 improves the efficacy of the antidepression medication sertraline for patients with CHD and major depression.

The study included 122 patients, who received 50 mg/day of sertraline and were randomized to receive 2 g/day of omega-3 acid ethyl esters (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) or placebo capsules for 10 weeks.

The researchers found no significant differences between the two groups.

It showed that depressive symptoms improved over time at comparable rates. The placebo and omega-3 groups did not differ at 10 weeks in regard to measurements of depression or anxiety.

"Whether higher doses of EPA, DHA, or sertraline, a longer duration of treatment, or the use of omega-3 as monotherapy can improve depression in patients with stable heart disease remains to be determined," said the authors.

The study appears in Journal of American Medical Association. (ANI)