The British Journal of Psychiatry (2006) 189: 191. doi: 10.1192/bjp.189.2.191
© 2006 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Correspondence

Ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid in bipolar depression

I. Upton

Ashworth Hospital, Parkbourn, Liverpool L31 1HW, UK. Email: ianupton84{at}yahoo.co.uk

EDITED BY KIRIAKOS XENITIDIS and COLIN CAMPBELL

Frangou et al (2006) reported ethyleicosapentaenoic acid (ethyl-EPA) to be effective in the treatment of bipolar depression. However, no mention is made of the dietary intake of ethyl-EPA among the randomised groups. Ethyl-EPA is a naturally occurring substance and hence a potential confounding variable. The statistically significant improvements in the ethyl-EPA group(s) compared with placebo in terms of decreases in scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and the Clinical Global Impression Scale could simply have been a result of differences in dietary ethyl-EPA intake. Such a difference is likely to have involved increased intake in the ethyl-EPA group(s), but decreased intake in these groups could have lessened any potential improvements. Further studies of omega-3 fatty acids must control for the potential confounding independent variable of dietary intake.

REFERENCES

  1. Frangou, S., Lewis, M. & McCrone, P. (2006) Efficacy of ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid in bipolar depression: randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 188, 46 -50.[Abstract/Free Full Text]




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