Marine ω-3 fatty acid supplementation doesn’t reduce DED incidence

Results from a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that long-term supplementation of marine ω-3 fatty acids did not reduce the incidence of diagnosed dry eye disease (DED).

A total of 23,523 adults without prior DED and who were not experiencing severe dry eye symptoms at the time of study entry were included, with 11,757 participants receiving daily supplementation with marine ω-3 fatty acids (1 g/day) and 11, 766 receiving placebo.

There was a median 5.3 (3.8-6.1) years of treatment and follow-up. During that time 2% of participants (n = 472) were diagnosed with DED with no differences between the treatment group and placebo group.

The authors concluded that marine ω-3 fatty acid supplementation to reduce the incidence of DED should not be recommended.

Reference
Christen WG, Cook NR, Manson JE, et al. Efficacy of Marine ω-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation vs Placebo in Reducing Incidence of Dry Eye Disease in Healthy US Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. Published online June 09, 2022. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.1818