OMEGA-3 MAY IMPROVE LUNG FUNCTION IN COPD.

According to the results of a randomized study reported in the December issue of the journal Chest, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation improved lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Even though the study was small, the investigators suggest that the findings are sufficient to warrant recommending an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich diet as a safe, practical method for treating COPD. “COPD, the fifth-leading cause of death worldwide, is characterized by chronic inflammation,” says Wataru Matsuyama, MD, PhD, from Kagoshima University Hospital in Japan, and colleagues. (Matsuyama, W., Mitsuyama, H., et al., “Effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on inflammatory markers in COPD.” Chest. 2005;128:3817-3827.)