This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on ISI (139)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Nutritional and Metabolic Disorders  • Lipids and Lipid Disorders  • Depression  • Psychopharmacology  • Alert me on articles by topic

Malcolm Peet, MB, ChB, FRCPsych; David F. Horrobin, DPhil, BM, BCh

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2002;59:913-919.

Background  In depressed patients, low blood levels of eicosapentaenoic acid are seen. We tested the antidepressive effect of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate in these patients.

Methods  We included 70 patients with persistant depression despite ongoing treatment with an adequate dose of a standard antidepressant. Patients were randomized on a double-blind basis to placebo or ethyl-eicosapentaenoate at dosages of 1, 2, or 4 g/d for 12 weeks in addition to unchanged background medication. Patients underwent assessment using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory.

Results  Forty-six (88%) of 52 patients receiving ethyl-eicosapentaenoate and 14 (78%) of 18 patients receiving placebo completed the 12-week study with no serious adverse events. The 1-g/d group showed a significantly better outcome than the placebo group on all 3 rating scales. In the intention-to-treat group, 5 (29%) of 17 patients receiving placebo and 9 (53%) of 17 patients receiving 1 g/d of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate achieved a 50% reduction on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score. In the per-protocol group, the corresponding figures were 3 (25%) of 12 patients for placebo and 9 (69%) of 13 patients for the 1-g/d group. The 2-g/d group showed little evidence of efficacy, whereas the 4-g/d group showed nonsignificant trends toward improvement. All of the individual items on all 3 rating scales improved with the 1-g/d dosage of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate vs placebo, with strong beneficial effects on items rating depression, anxiety, sleep, lassitude, libido, and suicidality.

Conclusion  Treatment with ethyl-eicosapentaenoate at a dosage of 1 g/d was effective in treating depression in patients who remained depressed despite adequate standard therapy.

From the Swallownest Court Hospital, Sheffield, England (Dr Peet); and Laxdale Research, Ltd, Stirling, Scotland (Dr Horrobin).

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Plasma eicosapentaenoic acid is inversely associated with severity of depressive symptomatology in the elderly: data from the Bordeaux sample of the Three-City Study
Feart et al.
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2008;87:1156-1162.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Modulate Interleukin-1{beta}-Induced Changes in Behavior, Monoaminergic Neurotransmitters, and Brain Inflammation in Rats
Song et al.
J. Nutr. 2008;138:954-963.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Niko Tinbergen's life and work: a new approach to biology
Mysterud
Social Science Information 2007;46:543-553.
ABSTRACT  

Preliminary in vivo evidence of increased N-acetyl-aspartate following eicosapentanoic acid treatment in patients with bipolar disorder
Frangou et al.
J Psychopharmacol 2007;21:435-439.
ABSTRACT  

Themed Review: Anxiety/Depression: Lifestyle Medicine Approaches
Martinsen and Raglin
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE 2007;1:159-166.
ABSTRACT  

Nutrition Review: Relationships of Nutrition With Depression and Anxiety
Melanson
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE 2007;1:171-174.
ABSTRACT  

Depressive Symptoms, omega-6:omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Inflammation in Older Adults
Kiecolt-Glaser et al.
Psychosom. Med. 2007;69:217-224.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Do omega-3 fatty acids help in depression?
DTB 2007;45:9-12.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in patients with recurrent self-harm: Single-centre double-blind randomised controlled trial
HALLAHAN et al.
Br. J. Psychiatry 2007;190:118-122.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Diet (n-3) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Content and Parity Interact to Alter Maternal Rat Brain Phospholipid Fatty Acid Composition
Levant et al.
J. Nutr. 2006;136:2236-2242.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Mood Disorders
Parker et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2006;163:969-978.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Healthy intakes of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids: estimations considering worldwide diversity
Hibbeln et al.
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2006;83:S1483-1493S.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Ethyl-EPA in Huntington disease: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Puri et al.
Neurology 2005;65:286-292.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Nonpharmacologic Treatments for Depression in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease
Lett et al.
Psychosom. Med. 2005;67:S58-S62.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Natural Health Product Interactions with Medication
Boullata
Nutr Clin Pract 2005;20:33-51.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Natural Health Product Interactions with Medication
Boullata
(SAGE) Nutr Clin Pract 2005;20:33-51.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Depression
ASTORG
Am. J. Psychiatry 2005;162:402-402.
FULL TEXT  

Guideline Watch: Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Major Depressive Disorder, 2nd Edition
Fochtmann and Gelenberg
Focus 2005;3:34-42.
FULL TEXT  

International variations in the outcome of schizophrenia and the prevalence of depression in relation to national dietary practices: an ecological analysis
Peet
Br. J. Psychiatry 2004;184:404-408.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Omega-3 Fatty Acid for Schizophrenia
HORROBIN
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:188-189.
FULL TEXT  

Fish-Oil Supplements for Depression?
JWatch Psychiatry 2002;2002:1-1.
FULL TEXT