Blood omega-3 fatty acids and death from COVID-19: A pilot study

Asher, Arash; Tintle, Nathan L.; Myers, Michael; Lockshon, Laura; Bacareza, Heribert; Harris, William S.

doi:10.1016/j.plefa.2021.102250

Cited by 100 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…This and other evidence indicate that n-3 PUFAs may have the capacity to modulate the adaptive immune response ( 14 , 35 , 42 ); for example, they have been found to influence antigen presentation and the production of CD4 + Th1 cells, among having other relevant effects ( 44 ). Certainly, preliminary evidence from banked blood samples from 100 COVID-19 patients suggests that patients with a higher omega-3 index, a measure of the amount of EPA and DHA in red blood cells, had a lower risk of death due to COVID-19 ( 45 ). Interest has also arisen as to whether nutritional status related to n-3 PUFAs can also affect inflammation associated with severe disease, such as ARDS or sepsis ( 46 , 47 ).…”

Section: N-3 Pufamentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals under Investigation for COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment

2021

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused global disruption and a significant loss of life. Existing treatments that can be repurposed as prophylactic and therapeutic agents may reduce the pandemic’s devastation. Emerging evidence of potential applications in other therapeutic contexts has led to the investigation of dietary supplements and nutraceuticals for COVID-19. Such products include vitamin C, vitamin D, omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, probiotics, and zinc, all of which are currently under clinical investigation. In this review, we critically appraise the evidence surrounding dietary supplements and nutraceuticals for the prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19. Overall, further study is required before evidence-based recommendations can be formulated, but nutritional status plays a significant role in patient outcomes, and these products may help alleviate deficiencies. For example, evidence indicates that vitamin D deficiency may be associated with a greater incidence of infection and severity of COVID-19, suggesting that vitamin D supplementation may hold prophylactic or therapeutic value. A growing number of scientific organizations are now considering recommending vitamin D supplementation to those at high risk of COVID-19. Because research in vitamin D and other nutraceuticals and supplements is preliminary, here we evaluate the extent to which these nutraceutical and dietary supplements hold potential in the COVID-19 crisis. IMPORTANCE Sales of dietary supplements and nutraceuticals have increased during the pandemic due to their perceived “immune-boosting” effects. However, little is known about the efficacy of these dietary supplements and nutraceuticals against the novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2]) or the disease that it causes, CoV disease 2019 (COVID-19). This review provides a critical overview of the potential prophylactic and therapeutic value of various dietary supplements and nutraceuticals from the evidence available to date. These include vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc, which are often perceived by the public as treating respiratory infections or supporting immune health. Consumers need to be aware of misinformation and false promises surrounding some supplements, which may be subject to limited regulation by authorities. However, considerably more research is required to determine whether dietary supplements and nutraceuticals exhibit prophylactic and therapeutic value against SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19. This review provides perspective on which nutraceuticals and supplements are involved in biological processes that are relevant to recovery from or prevention of COVID-19.

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Section: N-3 Pufamentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals under Investigation for COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment

2021

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“…Studies have suggested that n-3 fatty acids together with anti-inflammatory drugs could decrease inflammation and thrombotic complications associated with COVID-19 [46,49]. Consistently, levels of EPA and DHA in red blood cells are inversely associated with risk for death from COVID-19, even though the trend is not statistically significant [50].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Molecular Mechanisms of Palmitic Acid Augmentation in COVID-19 Pathologies

Joshi

Jadeja

Zhou

2021

IJMS

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has claimed over 2.7 million lives globally. Obesity has been associated with increased severity and mortality of COVID-19. However, the molecular mechanisms by which obesity exacerbates COVID-19 pathologies are not well-defined. The levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) are elevated in obese subjects. This study was therefore designed to examine how excess levels of different FFAs may affect the progression of COVID-19. Biological molecules associated with palmitic acid (PA) and COVID-19 were retrieved from QIAGEN Knowledge Base, and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis tools were used to analyze these datasets and explore the potential pathways affected by different FFAs. Our study found that one of the top 10 canonical pathways affected by PA was the coronavirus pathogenesis pathway, mediated by key inflammatory mediators, including PTGS2; cytokines, including IL1β and IL6; chemokines, including CCL2 and CCL5; transcription factors, including NFκB; translation regulators, including EEF1A1; and apoptotic mediators, including BAX. In contrast, n-3 fatty acids may attenuate PA’s activation of the coronavirus pathogenesis pathway by inhibiting the activity of such mediators as IL1β, CCL2, PTGS2, and BAX. Furthermore, PA may modulate the expression of ACE2, the main cell surface receptor for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

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“…For example, a recent meta-analysis of 10 trials from 1999 to 2010 involving 177,917 patients [ 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 ] over a period of 4.4 years concluded that n -3 LC-PUFAs had no effects on fatal or non-fatal coronary heart disease events [ 21 ]. In contrast, Kris-Etherton et al [ 28 ] report that a close evaluation of these trials reveals that in the earlier trials, n -3 HUFAs did have an effect on cardiovascular end points [ 84 , 85 , 86 ] whereas more recent clinical trials reported neutral effects [ 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 ].…”

Section: N -3 Lc-pufa and Cardiovascular Riskmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, higher concentrations of n -3 LC-PUFAs in erythrocytes are associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular deaths [ 17 , 18 ], and schizophrenic patients have lower levels of n -3 LC-PUFAs than healthy controls [ 19 , 20 ]. More recently, it has been shown that disease severity is inversely related to concentrations of circulating n -3 LC-PUFAs in COVID-19 patients [ 21 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Omega-3 Supplementation and Heart Disease: A Population-Based Diet by Gene Analysis of Clinical Trial Outcomes

et al. 2021

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Omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and their metabolites have long been recognized to protect against inflammation-related diseases including heart disease. Recent reports present conflicting evidence on the effects of n-3 PUFAs on major cardiovascular events including death. While some studies document that n-3 PUFA supplementation reduces the risk for heart disease, others report no beneficial effects on heart disease composite primary outcomes. Much of this heterogeneity may be related to the genetic variation in different individuals/populations that alters their capacity to synthesize biologically active n-3 and omega 6 (n-6) PUFAs and metabolites from their 18 carbon dietary precursors, linoleic acid (LA, 18:2 n-6) and alpha-linolenic (ALA, 18:3, n-3). Here, we discuss the role of a FADS gene-by-dietary PUFA interaction model that takes into consideration dietary exposure, including the intake of LA and ALA, n-3 PUFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in determining the efficacy of n-3 PUFA supplementation. We also review recent clinical trials with n-3 PUFA supplementation and coronary heart disease in the context of what is known about fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene-by-dietary PUFA interactions. Given the dramatic differences in the frequencies of FADS variants that impact the efficiency of n-3 and n-6 PUFA biosynthesis, and their downstream signaling products among global and admixture populations, we conclude that large clinical trials utilizing “one size fits all” n-3 PUFA supplementation approaches are unlikely to show effectiveness. However, evidence discussed in this review suggests that n-3 PUFA supplementation may represent an important opportunity where precision interventions can be focused on those populations that will benefit the most from n-3 PUFA supplementation.

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Blood omega-3 fatty acids and death from COVID-19: A pilot study

Cited by 100 publications

References 49 publications

Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals under Investigation for COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment

Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals under Investigation for COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment

Molecular Mechanisms of Palmitic Acid Augmentation in COVID-19 Pathologies

Omega-3 Supplementation and Heart Disease: A Population-Based Diet by Gene Analysis of Clinical Trial Outcomes

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