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Low omega-3 fatty acid levels associate with frequent gout attacks: a case control study
  1. A Abhishek,
  2. Ana M Valdes,
  3. Michael Doherty
  1. Academic Rheumatology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr A Abhishek, Academic Rheumatology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK; Abhishek.abhishek{at}nottingham.ac.uk

https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-208767

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    Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid are omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with anti-inflammatory effects. They inhibit several pathways like toll-like receptor activation, NALP-3 inflammasome assembly, neutrophil chemotaxis, prostaglandin synthesis and nucleating factor-kB activity through which monosodium urate (MSU) crystals induce inflammation.1–6 In keeping with these findings, mice fed on diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids developed less inflammation after subcutaneous injection of MSU crystals than those on standard diets.1 ,7 Thus, omega-3 fatty acids have the potential of preventing acute attacks of gout. However, the association between omega-3 fatty acid levels and frequency of gout attacks has not been examined in humans. The objective of this study was to examine if omega-3 fatty acid levels associate with frequent gout attacks.

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors AA, AMV and MD conceived the study. AA performed the data analysis. AA, AMV and MD critically appraised the manuscript and approved the final version.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Ethics approval Nottinghamshire Research Ethics Committee-1.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Data sharing statement Data used in this study are held in Academic Rheumatology, University of Nottingham, UK, under the custody of MD and can be made available on request.