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. 2022 Feb 28;14(5):1030.
doi: 10.3390/nu14051030.

The Relationship between Fatty Acids and the Development, Course and Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Wojciech Tański  1 , Natalia Świątoniowska-Lonc  2 , Mateusz Tabin  3 , Beata Jankowska-Polańska  2
Affiliations

The Relationship between Fatty Acids and the Development, Course and Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Wojciech Tański et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

For this systematic review, a search of the relevant literature was conducted in the EMBASE and PubMed databases. We used the following terms: 'rheumatoid arthritis' in conjunction with 'fatty acid'. The following inclusion criteria had to be satisfied for the studies to be included in the analysis: an RCT/observational/cohort study published in English. A total of seventy-one studies were analysed. The presented systematic review of the available data indicates that increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) may have a beneficial effect on human health by decreasing pain and disease activity in patients with RA. The beneficial effect of unsaturated FA on the clinical parameters of RA was demonstrated in all 71 studies analysed. The content of omega-3 FAs in the diet and the consumption of fish, which are their main source, may contribute to a reduced incidence of RA. FAs are an essential component in the synthesis of eicosanoids that exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. Due to the documented positive influence of unsaturated FAs on treatment outcomes, the use of a diet rich in long-chain unsaturated FAs should be the standard of care, along with pharmacotherapy, in the treatment of RA patients. An important element in the control of the treatment process should be the routine assessment of the quality of life of RA patients.

Keywords: fatty acids; nutrition; rheumatoid arthritis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study flow chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Synthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated acids from their precursors, i.e., linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA) [92].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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