The Study
Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid, Ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 Intake, Inflammation, and Survival in Long-term Hemodialysis Patients
This study looked at what people ate and then watched to see who got sicker or died over time. It found that people who ate more omega-6 compared to omega-3 tended to have more inflammation and were more likely to die, but it didn’t change anyone’s diet to test if that caused the difference.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at what people on long-term dialysis ate and saw if it made them more inflamed or more likely to die.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 553 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — a ratio of 9.3 is much higher than the 1:1 ratio humans evolved with, and even higher than the 5:1 ratio linked to less inflammation in other diseases.
- 2People who ate more omega-6 fats (like vegetable oil) compared to omega-3 fats (like fish) had higher inflammation (CRP went up by 0.55 mg/L per point increase in ratio).
- 3Those with the worst ratios were 61% more likely to die over 6 years, but this wasn't quite strong enough to be certain.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
American Journal of Kidney Diseases
Year
2011
Authors
Nazanin Noori, Ramanath Dukkipati, Csaba P. Kovesdy, John J. Sim, Usama Feroze, Sameer B. Murali, Rachelle Bross, Debbie Benner, Joel D. Kopple, Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh
Related Content
Claims (6)
Among patients on long-term hemodialysis, a higher intake of omega-6 fats relative to omega-3 fats is linked to a measurable rise in blood levels of C-reactive protein over one year.
Long-term hemodialysis patients consume a diet with a omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 9.3, which is higher than the ratio believed to have existed in human evolution and higher than the ratio linked to lower inflammation in other chronic conditions.
Among patients on long-term hemodialysis, a higher intake of omega-6 fats relative to omega-3 fats is linked to higher levels of inflammation and a greater chance of death, even when accounting for other dietary and health factors.
Eating too many omega-6 fats (like in vegetable oils) compared to omega-3 fats (like in fish) can make your body more inflamed, which can damage your blood vessels and lead to clogged arteries over time.
Among patients on long-term hemodialysis, those consuming a diet with a higher ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids had a 61% higher rate of death over six years than those consuming a lower ratio.
In patients on long-term hemodialysis, consuming more omega-3 fatty acids through diet did not change levels of C-reactive protein or affect survival over six years, although higher omega-3 intake was linked to a lower ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.