SUPPLEMENTING DIETS W\WITH N-3 FATTY ACIDS REDUCES HIGH SYSTEMIC LEVELS OF PROINFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES IN AGING ADULTS

High levels of circulating proinflammatory cytokines are characteristic of inflammaging, a term to describe age-related chronic systemic inflammation. Inflammaging is involved in the pathobiology of many chronic disorders in aging including cardiovascular disease and nonhealing wounds. Some studies have shown that supplementing diets with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) lowers systemic levels of proinflammatory cytokines, but other studies have reported no effects. The purpose of this randomized controlled study was to test the effects of EPA+DHA therapy on systemic levels of proinflammatory cytokines exclusively in adults in middle to late adulthood. Plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured in 35 participants with nonhealing leg wounds (mean age: 61 years) randomnly assigned to 8 weeks of EPA+DHA therapy (2.5 g/d) or placebo therapy. EPA+DHA therapy had a significant lowering effect on levels of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α after 4 weeks of therapy and an even greater lowering effect after 8 weeks of therapy. Further, after adjusting for baseline difference, the EPA+DHA group had significantly lower levels of IL-6 (p = .008), IL-1β (p < .001), and TNF-α (p < .001) at Week 4 and at Week 8 [IL-6 (p = .007), IL-1β (p < .001), and TNF-α (p < .001)] versus the control group. Importantly, there were no reported side effects. Supplementing diets with n-3 fatty acids EPA+DHA may be an effective low-risk, relatively low-cost dietary intervention for aging adults to prevent or reduce the harmful effects of inflammaging.