SIRS: Omega-3 Fish Oil Helps Healing and Reduces Risk of Death

In individuals with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), a condition characterized by widespread inflammation throughout the body, the intake of omega-3 supplements appears to reduce the risk of death by 23% and shorten hospital stays by about 10 days.

This is stated by scientists from Nanjing University (China). The research was published in recent months in the journal Lipids in Health and Disease.

What is SIRS?

SIRS is a widespread inflammatory state caused by infectious or non-infectious damage, characterized by systemic inflammation, organ dysfunction, and organ failure including acute lung injury and acute renal failure. Although antibiotics and various supportive therapies are continuously evolving, SIRS remains one of the leading causes of death in critically ill patients. Based on data from hospitalized patients, mortality for this condition is estimated at around 6%, and 28% of patients with SIRS develop sepsis, a potentially fatal inflammatory complication.

Effectively controlling systemic inflammation is an important goal in treating SIRS. Thanks to their well-known anti-inflammatory properties, omega-3s are commonly used for this purpose, and the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) recommends fish oil consumption for affected patients. Several meta-analyses—that is, studies combining data from multiple existing studies—have evaluated the effect of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in critically ill patients, but none specifically focused on those with SIRS. The goal of this Chinese study was precisely to assess the effect of omega-3s on this particular subgroup.

Omega-3 Reduce Mortality and Hospital Stay

The study included nine trials totaling 783 adult patients. Analysis of all data showed that compared to control groups, omega-3 supplementation significantly reduced mortality incidence in patients suffering from SIRS and shortened hospital stay by an average of 10 days. The large number of patients included in the meta-analysis allowed researchers to make more accurate estimates of the effects of omega-3 supplementation.

An Important Meta-Analysis Study

According to the researchers, the data indicate that omega-3 supplements can impact survival rates in patients with SIRS and confirm the influence of fish oil rich in EPA and DHA in therapeutic treatment. Furthermore, this study clearly demonstrates the importance of meta-analysis in scientific research, as it aggregates a number of subjects impossible to reach with other types of investigations.

Source: Wan X, Gao X, Bi J, Tian F, Wang X. Use of n-3 PUFAs can decrease the mortality in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lipids Health Dis. 2015;14(1):23.