Influence of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is defined as a reproductive endocrine disease that results in a low-grade inflammatory and prooxidant state. Dietary factors, including omega-3 fatty acids, may have a key role in improving metabolic disorders in PCOS patients. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in patients with PCOS. A systematic literature search of Medline/PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus and Lilacs, until November 2019, was conducted. Randomized clinical trials that reported inflammatory and oxidative stress markers as endpoints in women with PCOS receiving omega-3 fatty acid supplementation were included. The pooled estimates of the weighted mean differences (WMD) and the standard mean differences (SMD) were calculated. Random effect models were adopted to measure the pooled outcomes. Among the 323 studies retrieved, 10 fulfilled the inclusion criteria for a meta-analysis. We founded a significant decrease in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) [SMD: -0.29 (95%CI: -0.56 to -0.02) mg/L] and an increase of adiponectin [WMD: 1.42 (95%CI 1.09 to 1.76) ng/ml] concentrations in the intervention group when compared with the placebo group. No statistically significant results were found in the meta-analysis for visfatin, nitric oxide (NO), glutathione (GSH) or malondialdehyde (MDA) levels or total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The data suggest that supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids could reduce the inflammatory state in women with PCOS, through a decrease in hs-CRP and an increase in adiponectin levels.

Keywords: Inflammation; Meta-analyses; Oxidative stress markers; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; omega-3 fatty acid supplementation.