An increase in plasma omega-3 fatty acids may help decrease COPD flare-ups and improve the quality of life for those with the lung disease. That’s according to a new study published in the May 2024 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation.
This new study examined whether there was a relationship between plasma omega-3 fatty acid levels and the occurrence of moderate COPD exacerbations, as well as respiratory-specific quality of life. Omega-3 fatty acids have previously been connected to anti-inflammatory responses.
“In our study cohort, we found that higher plasma omega-3 levels were connected to a decreased risk for moderate exacerbations, as well as better respiratory quality of life, particularly for people with moderate to severe COPD,” said senior author of the study Nadia N. Hansel, MD, MPH, a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician and professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. “Examining plasma omega-3 gives us more accurate data than when examining self-reported dietary intake of omega-3 and helps reduce the burden on study participants to recall their food consumption.”
The observational study was conducted over a six-month period, and all participants were former smokers with moderate to severe COPD, who participated in the Comparing Urban and Rural Effects of Poverty on COPD (CURE COPD) study.
“The positive results in this small study cohort showcase the need for more in-depth, larger research studies on the role of omega-3 fatty acids and COPD symptoms,” Dr. Hansel said. “Further research is needed to continue to bring attention to the role of nutrition and dietary supplements, particularly the benefits of a diet high in omega-3, in managing COPD and overall lung health.”
