Trial reportThe Journal of nutrition2026
Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Krill Oil Supplementation for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Older Adults.
Trial report in The Journal of nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06580912 (Krill Oil for Pain and Physical Function in Older Adults), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Krill Oil for Pain and Physical Function in Older Adults
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundChronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is highly prevalent in older adults and the leading cause of disability. Long-chain omega-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, yet intake and circulating levels are low in older US adults. Krill oil, a phospholipid-bound source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that also contains astaxanthin and choline, may represent a feasible nutrition-based intervention for chronic MSK pain.
objectivesTo evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of krill oil supplementation in older adults with chronic MSK pain and to characterize changes in ω-3 status and exploratory pain outcomes.
methodsA 12-wk, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial in 40 community-dwelling adults aged ≥60 y with moderate chronic MSK pain. Participants were stratified by sex and randomly assigned 1:1 to krill oil (4 g/d; 1288 mg EPA+DHA) or placebo. Primary outcomes were feasibility metrics (recruitment, retention, adherence, and acceptability). Secondary outcomes included biomarkers of ω-3 status and inflammation. Exploratory outcomes included pain intensity, pain interference, pain distribution, and global improvement.
resultsRecruitment targets were met within 8 mo; retention was 95%, adherence exceeded prespecified thresholds (>70%) in both groups, and overall acceptability was rated 7.7 ± 2.3 of 10. Krill oil supplementation increased the ω-3 index from 4.3% to 7.4%, approaching levels consistent with lower cardiometabolic risk (≥8%), whereas the placebo group showed no meaningful change. Preliminary analyses showed trends favoring krill oil for reduced pain intensity (ΔKO - ΔP = ‒1.05), fewer pain sites (rate ratio: 0.59; 95% confidence interval: 0.41, 0.84), and global improvement (adjusted odds ratio: 4.35; 95% confidence interval: 0.97, 19.55). No serious adverse events occurred.
conclusionsKrill oil supplementation was feasible and acceptable among older US adults with chronic MSK pain. These findings support a fully powered randomized controlled trial to evaluate krill oil as a nutritional strategy for pain management in aging populations. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT06580912.
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