Dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and naproxen treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

In a controlled, double blind, clinical trial we tested the effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation with and without naproxen and placebo, respectively, in 67 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. The patients were randomized into 3 groups that received the following treatment: Group 1, corn oil ("placebo omega-3 fatty acids"), 7 g/day for 16 weeks, and naproxen, 750 mg/day for 10 weeks followed by a stepwise reduction to 0 mg/day during the following 3 weeks; Group 2, omega-3 fatty acids, 3.8 g of eicosapentaenoic acid plus 2.0 g of docosahexaenoic acid, and naproxen, 750 mg/day for 16 weeks; and Group 3, omega-3 fatty acids as Group 2 and naproxen as Group 1. At the end of the trial, patients in Group 2 had improved with respect to duration of morning stiffness and global assessment by physician and patient. In Groups 1 and 3 there was a significant deterioration for most of the variables measured. However, for duration of morning stiffness the deterioration was significantly less pronounced in Group 3 compared with Group 1. These effects might be ascribed to the dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation.