Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41291772›Full record

ArticleNutrition journal2025

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and mortality risk in depression: immune-inflammatory mediation in NHANES 1999-2018.

Xiao-Li Ren, Wei Chen, Ya Chen, Ge-Xin Gao, Jun-Gu Jin, En-Yu Lou, Chen-Yi Huang, Hao-Ran Zhang, Heng Lan, Qing-Xi Jiang and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nutrition journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Xiao-Li Ren *School of Public Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Wei Chen *School of Public Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Ya Chen *Institute of Lipids Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Ge-Xin GaoInstitute of Lipids Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Jun-Gu JinSchool of Public Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
En-Yu LouSchool of Public Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Chen-Yi HuangInstitute of Lipids Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Hao-Ran ZhangSchool of Public Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Heng LanSchool of Public Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Qing-Xi JiangSchool of Public Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Jessica Tzunu HuangMBI Lab & Care Mind-Body Interface Research Center (MBI Lab & Care), China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Halliru ZailaniMBI Lab & Care Mind-Body Interface Research Center (MBI Lab & Care), China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Wen-Chun LiuMBI Lab & Care Mind-Body Interface Research Center (MBI Lab & Care), China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Zhen-Feng WangSchool of Public Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Yu-Hsin ChenInstitute of Lipids Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Jia LiInstitute of Lipids Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China. JILI31@mgh.harvard.edu.
Kuan-Pin SuInstitute of Lipids Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China. cobol@cmu.edu.tw.
Bo YangSchool of Public Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China. yb@wmu.edu.cn.

Funding

PhD Programs Foundation of the Wenzhou Medical University of Zhejiang Province, China 89217015the Basic Medicine Funding of Wenzhou Science and Technology Bureau Y20180195the National Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program 202410343009the Science and Technology research Plan of Jinhua city, China 2022-3-114the Scientific Technician Funding of Wenzhou Science and Technology Bureau X20210055Zhejiang Provincial Higher-Education Teaching Reform Project JGBA2024311
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundImmune-inflammatory deregulation in depression may contribute to elevated risk of subsequent mortality. While dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are known to confer neuroprotective effects for their anti-inflammatory properties, population-based evidence regarding their survival benefits and underlying mechanisms in depression remain scarce. This study aimed to investigate association between dietary omega-3 PUFAs and mortality risk in depressed individuals and identify immune-inflammatory mediation underlying mortality reductions.

methodsTotally, 6,782 depressed individuals aged 20 years and above in 10 cycles (1999–2018) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. Omega-3 PUFAs intake (total and individual) was assessed through 24-hour dietary recalls. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for morality risk across omega-3 PUFA quartiles. Quantile-based g-computation model determined individual PUFA contributions, while mediation analysis evaluated the role of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) in mortality reductions.

resultsOver the follow-up period of 679,294 person years, 1,281 deaths were documented. The HRs for the highest versus lowest quartile of omega-3 PUFAs were 0.76 (95% CI: 0.62, 0.94) for total mortality, 0.72 (95% CI: 0.50, 1.02) for CVD mortality, 0.82 (95% CI: 0.50, 1.35) for cancer mortality, and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.59, 1.00) for other-cause mortality. DPA showed the strongest association (58.40% weight for total mortality reduction, P = 0.002; 59.80% for other causes, P = 0.011), while EPA contributed most to cardiovascular mortality reductions (60.4%, P = 0.046). Mediation analysis revealed GNRI accounted for 8.1% of PUFA-mortality association (10.5% for DPA), with SII mediating 6.9% of DPA-specific benefit.

conclusionHigher intake of omega-3 PUFAs, predominantly EPA and DPA, were associated with a lower mortality risk in depressed individuals, partially mediated by immune-nutritional pathways. These findings underscore omega-3 PUFAs as potential dietary adjuncts for improving survival in depression through immunomodulation. Further long-term clinical studies are warranted to validate the survival benefits of omega-3 PUFAs in patients with depression.

Indexed as

DepressionFatty Acids, Omega-3AdultAgedDietEicosapentaenoic AcidFatty Acids, UnsaturatedFemaleHumansInflammationMaleMiddle AgedNutrition SurveysProportional Hazards ModelsRisk FactorsUnited Statesdocosapentaenoic acidEicosapentaenoic AcidFatty Acids, Omega-3Fatty Acids, UnsaturatedDepressionGNRIInflammationMortalityNHANESOmega-3 PUFAs

Identifiers

PMID41291772
PMCPMC12777072

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.