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Treatment for 6 months with fish oil-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids has neutral effects on glycemic control but improves dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetic patients with abdominal obesity: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the effects of fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA on glycemic control and lipid profiles in type 2 diabetic patients with abdominal obesity.

Methods

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 100 type 2 diabetic patients with abdominal obesity were randomized into two groups including 4 g/day of fish oil (2.4 g n-3 PUFA) or placebo (corn oil) for 6 months. Serum fatty acid, body composition, as well as markers of glucose regulation and lipid parameters were measured before and after intervention.

Results

Thirty-five men and 64 women aged 65.4 ± 5.3 years completed the intervention. Although body composition was unchanged, serum EPA and DHA were higher in the fish oil group than those in the placebo group (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Serum triglyceride (TG) decreased (P = 0.007), whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) increased (P = 0.006) in the fish oil group compared with the placebo group after 6 months. Serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), the ratio of LDL-C to HDL-C, and glycemic control (measured by serum glucose, glycated hemoglobin, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment–insulin resistance) were not significantly different between the two groups after 6 months.

Conclusions

This study showed that 6 months of fish oil supplement had no statistically significant effects on glycemic control, but improved TG and HDL-C in type 2 diabetic patients with abdominal obesity.

Trial registration

Chictr.org ChiCTR-TRC-14005084.

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Acknowledgements

Both fish oil and corn oil capsules were manufactured by By-Health Co. (Guangdong, China) according to our requirements. We are indebted to all the people who kindly participated in this study. This study was supported by the Grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81573144), the nutrition research foundation from the Chinese Nutrition Society (No. 201326), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, and the Graduate Research and Innovation Projects of Colleges in Jiangsu Province (No. KYLX15_0175).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China

    Feng Wang, Yanyan Wang, Hui Xia, Xian Yang & Guiju Sun

  2. Food Nutrition and Safety Society in Yixing, Yixing, China

    Yan Zhu

  3. Guanlin Hospital in Yixing, Yixing, China

    Xiaosong Liu

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  1. Feng Wang
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Correspondence to Guiju Sun.

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Wang, F., Wang, Y., Zhu, Y. et al. Treatment for 6 months with fish oil-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids has neutral effects on glycemic control but improves dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetic patients with abdominal obesity: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eur J Nutr 56, 2415–2422 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1352-4

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