The effects of omega-3 fatty acids in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
PubMed 35717726 · doi:10.1016/j.plefa.2022.102456
What was done
This systematic review and meta-analysis searched PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, and Web of Science for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) assessing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) interventions (such as EPA and DHA) in patients with type 2 diabetes. The authors extracted and pooled data on metabolic and lipid biomarkers across 46 RCTs.
What was found
Across 46 RCTs involving 4,991 patients with type 2 diabetes, n-3 PUFA supplementation led to statistically significant improvements compared to controls in total cholesterol (weighted mean difference [WMD] = -0.22; 95% CI: -0.32 to -0.11), triglycerides (WMD = -0.36; 95% CI: -0.48 to -0.25), HDL-C (WMD = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.08), HbA1c (WMD = -0.19; 95% CI: -0.31 to -0.06), and C-reactive protein (WMD = -0.40; 95% CI: -0.74 to -0.07) (all p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant effects on renal function, fasting blood sugar, HOMA-IR, LDL-C, adiponectin, or leptin (p > 0.05).
Why it matters
This review shows that omega-3 supplementation in type 2 diabetes confers modest reductions in triglycerides, total cholesterol, HbA1c, and CRP alongside small increases in HDL-C, but does not alter fasting glucose or insulin resistance.
Limits
The abstract does not report measurement units for effect sizes, intervention dosages, EPA/DHA ratios, intervention durations, baseline lipid statuses, or between-study heterogeneity and risk of bias.
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