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DHA, EPA therapy reduced liver fat percentage in NAFLD patients
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Liver fat percentage decreased among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease when treated with docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids and after erythrocyte DHA enrichment, according to study results.
In a double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, researchers randomly assigned patients with NAFLD to 4 g docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) daily plus eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; n=51) or placebo (n=52) for 15 to 18 months to determine if liver fat decreased and liver fibrosis biomarkers scores improved.
Ninety-five patients completed the study, with liver fat percentages only available for 91 patients to determine multivariable linear regression and erythrocyte DHA and EPA enrichment analyses. Researchers estimated that all patients consumed more than 50% of their study medication, and 78% consumed more than 75%.
Enrichment in erythrocyte DHA and EPA varied in the DHA/EPA group, with five and six patients not reaching thresholds for EPA and DHA, respectively. In the placebo group, however, three patients met EPA and four reached DHA enrichment thresholds, which was unanticipated, the researchers wrote.
ITT analyses showed decreased liver fat percentage (beta=–3.64; 95% CI, –8 to 0.8) with DHA and EPA therapy. Further analyses determined erythrocyte DHA enrichment to be independently associated with a decrease in liver fat percentage (beta=–1.7; 95% CI, –2.9 to –0.5; –1.7% for each 1% DHA enrichment). No adverse events were reported, and no improvements in fibrosis scores were seen.
“Although we were not able to prove that there was a significant effect of the intervention on the primary outcomes in the ITT analyses, our novel results show, in the secondary analyses, that erythrocyte DHA enrichment with DHA plus EPA treatment is linearly associated with decreased liver fat percentage, and substantial decreases in liver fat percentage can be achieved with high-percentage DHA enrichment,” the researchers wrote.
Disclosure: Philip C. Calder is a consultant for Amarin and Vifor and an advisor for Pronova.