Daily omega-3 fatty acid intake and depression in Japanese patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the association between daily omega-3 fatty acid intake and depression in Japanese cancer patients. Omega-3 fatty acid intake in 771 patients with newly diagnosed primary lung cancer was evaluated using a foodfrequency questionnaire, and the prevalence of depression was examined using the cutoff values for the depression subscale included in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, the odds ratio (OR) for depression among patients in the highest quartile of the total eicosapentaenoic acid-(C20:5n-3) and docosapentaenoic acid (C22:6n-3)-intake group compared with patients in the lowest quartile was not significantly different. On the other hand, the OR among the highest quartile of a-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3) intake (adjusted OR ¼ 0.50, 95% CI: 0.31 -0.71, P for trend ¼ 0.004) and the highest quartile of total omega-3 fatty acid intake (adjusted OR ¼ 0.55, 95% CI: 0.35 -0.88, P for trend ¼ 0.022) were significantly different. These results suggest that total eicosapentaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid intake might not be associated with depression in Japanese patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer, but that a-linolenic acid intake and total omega-3 fatty acid intake might be.

Levels of omega-3 fatty acid in serum phospholipids and depression in patients with lung cancer

“…However, subjects with depression had significantly lower intake of ALA, which was a major dietary omega-3 FA (Suzuki et al, 2004). As ingested ALA can be converted into EPA and DHA in vivo, the result of our previous study (Suzuki et al, 2004) did not seem to be inconsistent with the studies indicating lower levels of EPA and DHA in phospholipids in depression (Edwards et al, 1998;Peet et al, 1998;Maes et al, 1999). Then, in the present study, we hypothesised that lower levels of EPA and DHA in serum phospholipids were associated with major depression and minor depression in lung cancer patients.…”

“…The present study was a three matched group case -control study, based in part on the Lung Cancer Database Project, which was a prospective cohort study for investigation of the pathogenesis of and development of new therapy for lung cancer at the National Cancer Center Hospital East and the National Cancer Center Research Institute East, Japan (Suzuki et al, 2004). The project, including the present study, was approved by the Institutional Review Board and the Ethics Committee of the National Cancer Center, Japan.…”

“…Information about clinical, demographic and social factors was collected from the database and medical chart in the same way as in our previous study (Suzuki et al, 2004). These data contained the following: gender, age, clinical staging assessed by TNM classification, performance status, educational level (longer than 9 years), smoking status (current smoker, ex-smoker, or nonsmoker), alcohol consumption estimated by FFQ, degree of breathlessness and pain (present or absence), and body mass index.…”

“…In our previous pilot study to obtain information for planning interventional research, depression in cancer patients was not associated with either EPA or DHA intakes, but was associated with lower intake of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA: major omega-3 FAs in diet, precursor of EPA and DHA) (Suzuki et al, 2004). To elucidate any such association in detail, the present study was designed to examine our hypothesis that lower levels of omega-3 FAs (EPA, DHA) in serum phospholipids are associated with major and minor depression in lung cancer patients. …”

Is there a role forn-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in the regulation of mood and behaviour? A review of the evidence to date from epidemiological studies, clinical studies and intervention trials

“…In seven of the studies that found associations, the relationship between n-3PUFA intake and depression was found following adjustment for confounders (41 -43,46 -48,51) . In three of these studies, however, associations were reduced following adjustment for confounders (43,46,51) , and in one study no association between n-3PUFA intake and depressed mood remained following adjustment for the confounders, age and deprivation (50) .…”