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Fish oil in psoriasis—a double‐blind randomized placebo‐controlled trial
Author(s) -
Bittiner S.B.,
Tucker W.F.G.,
Bleehen S.S.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1987.tb12013.x
Subject(s) - medicine , fish <actinopterygii> , psoriasis , randomized controlled trial , dermatology , placebo , double blind , family medicine , alternative medicine , surgery , fishery , pathology , biology
Recent uncontrolled work has suggested that dietary supplementation with fish oils high in eicosapentaenoic acid may improve psoriasis. 1 We have investigated this in a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial. Twenty‐nine patients (12 male, 17 female) with stable chronic plaque psoriasis, using only topical medicaments, were recruited into the trial. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either 10 capsules ‘MaxEPA’ daily, containing 1·8 g eicosapentaenoic acid (treatment group), or 10 identical capsules containing vegetable oil daily (control group), for a period of 12 weeks. Patients were allowed to continue their previous topical treatments, the quantity used being recorded at each visit. The percentage surface area affected, itching, erythema and scaling were assessed at 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Tablet counts and erythrocyte membrane lipid measurements were performed to assess compliance. Twenty‐five patients completed the trial, 12 in the treatment group and 13 in the control group. Two patients defaulted from each group. After 8 weeks, 11 out of 12 patients in the treatment group had a reduction in surface area affected, compared with seven of 13 controls ( P < 0·05; x 2 test). The mean surface area affected (± SEM) at 0 and 8 weeks was 11·3 ± 1·7% and 7·6 ± 1·4% in the treatment group, and 11·8 ± 1·6% and 10·3 ± 1·5% in the control group, respectively. Itching improved at 8 weeks in 10 of the treatment group compared with four of the control group ( P < 0·01; x 2 test). Erythema improved in 10 of the treatment group compared with four of the controls, but this was not statistically significant ( P < 0·01; x 2 test). There was no improvement in scaling in either group. This study confirms that dietary supplementation with fish oil is a useful adjunctive therapy in patients with psoriasis, particularly when itching is a prominent symptom.