Effects of dietary eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of data from 33 randomized controlled trials

Jul 6, 2021Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Effects of EPA and DHA supplements on metabolic syndrome: A review of 33 clinical trials

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Abstract

EPA supplementation decreased serum total cholesterol by 0.24 mmol/L.

Both EPA and DHA were effective at lowering serum triglyceride levels.
EPA supplementation reduced serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
DHA supplementation was associated with increased serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
DHA also increased serum insulin levels compared to EPA, particularly in individuals under 60 years old and those supplemented for less than 3 months.
This meta-analysis indicates that EPA and DHA have distinct effects on metabolic syndrome risk factors.

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BACKGROUND & AIMS: Previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have compared the effects of pure preparations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in reducing metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors, but the results were inconsistent. The present study aimed to clarify whether EPA and DHA have differential effects on MetS features in humans.

METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted in CNKI, PubMed, Embase and Scopus updated to February 2021. The mean changes in the characteristics of MetS were calculated as weighted mean differences by using a random-effects model. Thirty-three RCTs were included.

RESULTS: The results showed that both EPA and DHA were effective at lowering serum triglycerides (TG) levels. EPA supplementation decreased the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC) (WMD = -0.24 mmol/L; 95% CI, -0.43, -0.05 mmol/L), TG (WMD = -0.77 mmol/L; 95% CI, -1.54, -0.00 mmol/L) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD = -0.13 mmol/L; 95% CI, -0.25, -0.01 mmol/L), while DHA increased the serum levels of TC (WMD = 0.14 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.03, 0.25 mmol/L), LDL-C (WMD = 0.26 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.15, 0.38 mmol/L) and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (WMD = 0.07 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.04, 0.09 mmol/L). Moreover, DHA increased the serum levels of insulin compared with EPA, especially in subgroups whose mean age was <60 years (0.43 mU/L; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.81 mU/L) and duration of DHA supplementation < 3 months (0.39 mU/L; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.77 mU/L).

CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis provides evidence that EPA and DHA have different effects on risk factors of MetS.

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Effects of dietary eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of data from 33 randomized controlled trials

Abstract

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