Omega-3s May Decrease Irritability

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) may help reduce irritability in patients with bipolar disorder, according to a study published Feb. 9, 2005 in Nutrition Journal, a peer-reviewed, online medical journal. (www.nutritionj.com).

In a continuation study of an open-ended omega-3 EFAs add-on study, 37 patients (the original 19 patients, plus 18 new patients) who were diagnosed with bipolar disorder and regularly visited a mood disorder clinic were administered low-dose (1 g/d to 2 g/d) omega-3 EFAs and assessed for frequency and severity of irritability. Frequency was measured by percentage of days in which subjects experienced irritability, while severity of irritability, if present, was rated on a scale of 1 to 4.

Based upon the results of the trial, the researchers concluded omega-3 EFA intake helped reduce irritability in bipolar disorder patients with a significant presenting sign of irritability, and noted omega-3 EFAs may also help alleviate the irritability component of different clinical conditions including schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder and other psychiatric conditions with a common presenting sign of irritability.