The effects of omega-3 fatty acids in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: The effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on cardiovascular risk modification in type 2 diabetes and related complications remain unclear. We aim to assess the published effects of n-3 PUFA interventions on lipid risk factors in type 2 diabetes. Methods: We searched the literature on Pubmed, Embase, CENTRAL, and Web of Science databases in order to perform a pooled analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) assessing n-3 PUFA interventions in type 2 diabetes. The primary outcomes analyzed were the effect of n -3 PUFAs on metabolic biomarkers in type 2 diabetes. Results: 46 RCTs involving 4991 patients with type 2 diabetes were identified for further analysis. Analysis of results showed that n-3 PUFAs interventions significantly improved total cholesterol (TC, WMD = -0.22; 95% CI: -0.32∼ -0.11), triglyceride (TG,WMD = -0.36; 95% CI: -0.48∼-0.25), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C,WMD = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.02∼ 0.08), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c, WMD = -0.19; 95% CI: -0.31∼-0.06) and C-reactive protein (CRP,WMD = -0.40; 95% CI: -0.74∼-0.07) levels compared to controls (p < 0.05). There was no significant effect on renal function, fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), adiponectin and leptin (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this systematic review suggest that n-3 PUFAs can improve cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes.