During the study, lead researcher Dr Robert M. Carney, of Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis and his team conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to examine whether omega-3 improves the efficacy of the antidepression medication sertraline for patients with CHD and major depression.
The study included 122 patients, who received 50 mg/day of sertraline and were randomized to receive 2 g/day of omega-3 acid ethyl esters (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) or placebo capsules for 10 weeks.
The researchers found no significant differences between the two groups.
It showed that depressive symptoms improved over time at comparable rates. The placebo and omega-3 groups did not differ at 10 weeks in regard to measurements of depression or anxiety.
"Whether higher doses of EPA, DHA, or sertraline, a longer duration of treatment, or the use of omega-3 as monotherapy can improve depression in patients with stable heart disease remains to be determined," said the authors.
The study appears in Journal of American Medical Association.
Source: ANI
LIN