Comparison of the Effect of Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid on Fasting Blood Sugar, Triglyceride, and Blood Pressure in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Background: It seems that consumption of fish oil results in reduction of cardiovascular diseases risk factor such as triglyceride and blood pressure in diabetic patients. It is not clear which component of fish oil(EPA or DHA) is more important. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid on fasting blood sugar, triglyceride, and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients. Material and Methods: The study designed as a triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial. 60 diabetic men and women, aged 30-65 years, were randomly assigned to consume 1g/d EPA, DHA, and canola oil for 12 week. Fasting blood sugar, triglyceride, and blood pressure were measured before and after the study. Results were analyzed through repeated measure test. Results:. After 12 weeks of intervention, 23 women and 22 men with a mean ± SD age of 54.9± 8.2 completed the study. In comparison with the changes from baseline, FBS and triglyceride levels didn't differ between groups (P>0.05). SBP and DBP reduced in three groups (P= 0.0015 and P= 0.000 respectively) but they didn't differ between groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Consumption of 1g/d EPA or DHA doesn't have any effect on FBS, triglyceride, SBP and DBP. This study is the first one which has compared fish oil components effects in diabetic patients