Slideshow
Study Upends Pro Fish Consumption Theory in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Despite years of research that show omega-3 fatty acids from specific fish species can improve rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms and even protect at-risk patients from developing RA, a new study of 3,863,909 person-years published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders finds no benefit.
Despite years of research that show omega-3 fatty acids from specific fish species can improve rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms and even protect at-risk patients from developing RA, a new study of 3,863,909 person-years published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders finds no benefit.“In this large prospective cohort study, we found no clear protective effect of fish or marine omega-3 fatty acid intake on RA risk, overall or by serologic status,” wrote researchers who were led by Jeffrey A. Sparks, M.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.Dr. Sparks and colleagues compared the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis and fish intake. They also considered smoking status finding some evidence that suggests fish consumption lessened the association of smoking and the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. Learn more in this slideshow.
References:
Jeffery A. Sparks, Eilis J. O’Reilly, Medha Barbhaiya, et al. Association of fish intake and smoking with risk of rheumatoid arthritis and age of onset: a prospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (2019) 20:2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-018-2381-3
