Efficacy of omega 3 fatty acids on uremic pruritus in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Abstract

Introduction: Uremic pruritus remains a common and unpleasant complication in patients with renal failure, which can have a negative impact on the quality of life, mind and physical well-being of patients. Despite many efforts, no definitive treatment for this complication has yet been found. More than 40% of patients undergoing dialysis suffer from chronic itching. The main reason for the lack of effective treatments is the inadequacy of studies due to low number of studies and the inaccuracy of patient characteristics and their underlying illnesses. Objective: To evaluate the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on uremic pruritus in hemodialysis patients. Method: This study was conducted as a randomized placebo-controlled, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. 60 chronic hemodialysis patients with resistant itching, history of hemodialysis over 3 months, age over 18 years, and Kt/V (hemodialysis adequacy) above 1.2 were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups; the treatment group consisted of 30 patients who received 1200 mg of omega-3 fatty acids daily for 3 mont1hs. The control group consisted of 30 patients who received daily 1200 mg of placebo for 3 months. The placebo capsule, other than the active ingredient, was quite similar to the omega-3 capsules. Pruritus questionnaire for assessment of itching severity was used. Findings: The effects of omega-3 on resistant itching in hemodialysis patients was nearly significant (P=0.06). However, the pruritus subtypes such as severity, dispersion, and frequency in the omega-3 group were significantly lower than the placebo group (P<0.001). Conclusion: In this study, by consumption of 1200 mg omega-3 fatty acids daily, resistant itching was reduced in hemodialysis patients. Also, subtypes related to itching, including severity, dispersion, frequency, also showed a significant improvement.