Omega-3 fatty acids don't work on Crohn's

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supplements of omega-3 fatty acids, taken by many with Crohn's disease, do not work to manage the incurable inflammatory bowel ailment, an international team of researchers said on Tuesday.

The findings cast doubt on a popular alternative treatment used by perhaps a fifth of Crohn's patients to try to stave off symptoms that can be painful and debilitating.

The researchers studied 738 Crohn's patients in Canada, Europe, Israel and the United States whose symptoms were in remission.

Patients were given either four grams a day of omega-3 free fatty acids in capsules or a placebo for up to 58 weeks to see if the treatment would prevent relapse, but both groups relapsed at essentially the same rate.

"We're still looking for the optimal drug or combination of drugs to prevent relapse. But I think we can take omega-3 fatty acids off the list," said Dr. R. Balfour Sartor of the University of North Carolina, who serves as chief medical adviser to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines as well as some other foods such as walnuts. They provide an anti-inflammatory effect and thus are used to fight inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, the researchers noted.

The group said there are 1.4 million people in the United States with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

'VERY DISAPPOINTING'