Omega-3 Fish Oils Improve the Symptoms of Lupus.

Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that occurs when the body engages in friendly fire against its own tissues and organs including the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, heart, lungs, and blood. Lupus is a disease of the immune system and also a vascular disease, Studies now confirm the benefits of omega-3 fish oils in improving the symptoms of lupus.

According to new research presented at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting held on Nov. 7, 2007 (Boston) , fish oil supplements not only improve the symptoms of lupus , but also improve blood flow and blood vessel function in people with lupus who are known to be at increased risk for heart disease.

In the new study of 60 people with lupus, participants who took 3 grams of omega-3 polyunsaturated fish oil supplements daily for six months showed improvements in the symptoms of their disease, as measured by two standard tools, when compared to their counterparts who received dummy pills. Participants who took the fish oil supplements also showed improved blood vessel function and a reduction in measures of oxidative stress which has been linked to heart disease.

Researcher Stephen Wright, MD, a specialist registrar in rheumatology at Queen's University of Belfast in Northern Ireland, says in a news release "This study confirms the beneficial effects of omega-3 fish oils in improving the symptoms of [lupus] and also provides evidence of the potential cardioprotective effect they may have in this group of patients,"

John J. Cush, MD, director of clinical rheumatology at Baylor Research Institute in Dallas pointed out that “Lupus has cumulative effects on the blood vessels over the years, and this also needs to be addressed." He also says that fish oil supplements may help address the blood vessel damage seen in the disease.

The new study is "very encouraging and speaks to another way that lupus can be successfully managed," Cush tells WebMD.

Cush says the benefits seen in the study are probably not achievable by simply eating more fatty fish in the diet because the amount of fish that a person would need to eat on a regular basis to get 3 grams of omega-3 is too high.

"Patients with lupus need to control blood pressure, avoid high-fat diets that are bad for vascular diseases of any kind, and maybe use of omega-3 supplements," Cush says. "They are fairly cheap and may produce benefits without producing any harm."

Source: http://lupus.webmd.com/news/20071107/fish-oil-supplements-may-ease-lupus

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