Omega-3 Fatty Acids of No Benefit in Multiple Sclerosis

Say it ain't so.

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements failed to reduce disease activity in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), either as monotherapy or in combination with standard immunomodulatory treatment, according to new results of a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

The finding, from the 4-year Omega-3 Fatty Acid Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis (OFAMS) trial, goes against those of preliminary studies that suggested omega-3 supplementation would have a protective effect in MS, lead author Øivind Torkildsen, MD, PhD, from Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, told Medscape Medical News.

"It has been estimated that about a third of all MS patients are using or have tried supplementation with omega-3 to control disease progression and neurologists have traditionally recommended omega-3 supplementation to their MS patients," Dr. Torkildsen said. "Although this is the most commonly used and recommended complementary treatment for MS, there have not been any randomized controlled studies to document if omega-3 actually has an effect on MS disease activity."...

Dr. Torkildsen admitted he and his group were surprised by the study findings, given preclinical results that suggested a positive effect with omega-3 supplementation. "This shows how important it is to perform controlled studies," he said.

Duh.