Omega-3-fatty acids could be supplemented in
migraine patients as they reduced the duration of
migraine by approximately 3.44 hours; RCTs should be conducted to confirm these
preliminary findings.
A migraine is a genetic neurological disease, characterized
by episodes of moderate to severe headache with or without aura that often
includes nausea, vomiting and increased sensitivity to light, sound, etc.
The present study by Maghsoumi-Norouzabad L et. Al. is a
systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
The study aimed to scrutinize the potential and effectiveness of omega-3 fatty
acids on the frequency, severity, and duration of migraine attacks.
The study included a search of different databases for
controlled clinical trials to be included in this systematic review and meta
analyses. After an extensive literature search, 13 trials were extracted, of
which 5, 2, and 3 RCTs met the eligibility criteria to evaluate the efficacy of
omega-3 fatty acids on the frequency, duration, and severity of migraine
attacks, respectively. Risk of biased analysis was assessed by the Jadad scale,
and overall estimates of the intervention effect were evaluated from
random-effect meta-analysis. Chi-square test (χ2) (Cochran's test (Q test)) and
I2 Index was employed to determine the heterogeneity of studies and potential
sources of heterogeneity among the trials were investigated by meta-regression
analyses
The outcomes showed no effect on frequency of migraine attack
by intake of omega-3 intake (WMD=-0.20; 95%CI -0.67, 0.27; P=0.401, and
I2=4.6%; P=0.380) and severity (SMD=-0.59; 95%CI -1.85, 0.66; P=0.35, and
I2=88.8%; P = 0.000) of migraine but a reduction effect on the duration of
migraine attacks (WMD = -3.44; 95%CI -5.70, -1.19; P=0.003, and I2=0.0%;
P=0.926).
Therefore, overall it was inferred from the study results
that intake of omega-3 fatty acids lead to a significant reduction of
approximately 3.44 hours in the duration of a migraine. However, there was no
effect on frequency of migraine attacks. There is a need for further randomized
controlled trials of high methodological quality with adequate sample sizes to
validate the results of the meta-analyses.
Nutr Neurosci. 2017 Jun 30:1-10
Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on the frequency, severity, and duration of migraine attacks: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Maghsoumi-Norouzabad L et al.
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