PP214 - OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS AND RISK OF DEVELOPING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

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PP214

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS AND RISK OF DEVELOPING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

T. Lac1,*, A.-M. Lampousi2, M. Dehara2, L. Alfredsson3,4, D. D. Giuseppe2

1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Hoan My Thu Duc Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, 2Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine Solna, 33Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 4Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden

 

Rationale: Omega-3 fatty acids, mainly from fish, may reduce rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk through anti-inflammatory mechanisms, but evidence remains inconclusive. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the association between fish consumption, omega-3 fatty acid intake, or circulating levels, and the risk of RA.

Methods: Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched up to September 2025 for cohort, case-control, and randomized controlled trials examining fish consumption, dietary or circulating omega-3. Random-effects models estimated pooled relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) per 1 g/day increase in omega-3 intake, per 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in circulating levels, and any vs. no omega-3 supplementation. Heterogeneity was quantified through the I² statistic. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251136451).

Results: Of 4,388 records, 26 studies were included (11 on fish, 9 on omega-3, and 6 on both). Higher dietary omega-3 intake was associated with lower RA risk (RR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85–0.98; I²=0%; n=5). Circulating omega-3 showed a similar but non-significant association (RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.63–1.28; I²=72%; n=3). Omega-3 supplementation showed no association (RR: 1.09; 95% CI: 0.85–1.40; I²=0%; n=2).

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Conclusion: Current evidence shows an inverse association between dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids and RA risk. Similar results were observed for circulating omega-3 levels, although non-statistically significant, possibly due to the limited number of studies and the high heterogeneity. Further analyses will investigate associations with fish consumption, non-linear dose–response relationships, and potential effect modification by genetic predisposition and smoking.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared