The Effects of EPA+DHA Supplements on CRP Levels in Patients with Chronic Venous Leg Ulcers: A Pilot Study in Older Adults
Loading...
Date
2015-03-25
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Chronic venous leg ulcers (CVLUs) affect approximately 1% of the U.S. population and nearly 4% of people over age 65 years. The healthcare costs (> 1 billion USD annually) associated with CVLUs and their increasing prevalence support the need for new interventions to facilitate healing. CVLU pathogenesis involves unremitting inflammation. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have inflammation resolving effects. This study’s purpose was to compare plasma levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), an inflammation biomarker, over an 8-week period between CVLU participants in an Active Group receiving EPA+DHA supplements and those in a Placebo Group. The sample consisted of 17 CVLU patients in Central Ohio. Dr. William Harris’s theory regarding the inflammation-resolving mechanisms of EPA+DHA guided the study design. Participants were randomly assigned to the Control Group (mineral oil: 5cc/d) or Active Group (EPA+DHA: 2.8 g/d). Plasma samples were collected at baseline and after 8 weeks to quantify hs-CRP levels using Cayman’s CRP enzyme immunoassay kit. Sociodemographic data were collected. On average, the group age was 62 ±12.51 years and the body mass index (BMI) was 41.94 ± 12.78 kg/m2 (severe obesity). The majority of participants self-reported White as their race (82%) and an income of < 29,999 USD/year (68%). Though there was no significant difference in hs-CRP change scores from 0 to 8 weeks between the Placebo Group (0.02 ± 1.86 mg/L) and the Active Group (-0.21 ± 0.50 mg/L) (p=.75), a larger proportion of Active Group participants demonstrated a reduction in hs-CRP levels by 8 weeks (67%) compared to the Placebo Group (50%). The findings suggest that EPA/DHA supplementation may reduce inflammation and promote CVLU healing, but further research is needed. The known association between high BMIs and elevated inflammation warrant the need for nursing interventions that promote healthy weights to improve CVLU healing.
Description
Health Professions - Clinical (The Ohio State University Denman Undergraduate Research Forum)
Keywords
chronic venous leg ulcers, inflammation, omega-3 fatty acids, c-reactive protein