N-3 PUFA and Rheumatoid Arthritis in Korea

Effect of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation on Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

The purpose of this study is to see if supplementation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) can be beneficial for the patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed based on American College of Rheumatology guideline and receiving NSAID, glucocorticoids, or DMARD were eligible if the dosage had been stable for at least 3 months prior to entering the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients were excluded if they were pregnant, lactating, under the age of 18 or over age 80, taking supplements containing n-3 PUFA, white blood cell (WBC) ≤ 3.5 × 109/L, hemoglobin (Hb) ≤ 8.5 g/dL, platelet ≤ 100 × 109/L, creatinine ≥ 2.0 mg/dL, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≥ 2.5 times upper limit of normal.