Fish Oil May Not Prevent Crohn’s Relapse

Studies Show That Taking Omega-3 Fatty Acids Do Not Protect Against Flare-ups of Crohn’s Disease

By Kelley Colihan
WebMD Medical News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

April 8, 2008 - Taking omega-3 fatty acids can be helpful for many things, but maybe not for preventing a relapse of Crohn's disease.

Two related studies show that omega-3s are not effective in preventing inflammation associated with Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that can affect anywhere along the digestive tract. With Crohn's, a patient may experience periods of remission and recurrence.

Researchers looked at whether high doses of omega-3s worked as maintenance therapy in patients with Crohn's disease in remission. A total of 738 people participated in two studies. No significant differences were observed between the two treatment groups in either trial.

In one study, 363 participants were assigned randomly to take either a daily omega-3 supplement or a placebo for 52 weeks. In the second study, 375 participants took the pills for 58 weeks.

Researchers say the results in the first and second study were similar. Here are some of the findings:

In the first study:



54 patients treated with omega-3s had a relapse.

62 patients who received a placebo relapsed.

There was no statistically significant difference in rate of relapse between the treatment and placebo groups.

In the second study:



84 patients who took an omega-3 gelatin capsule had a relapse.

94 patients who received a placebo had a relapse.

There was no statistically significant difference in rate of relapse between the treatment and placebo groups.

The research took place between January 2003 and February 2007 at centers across Canada, Europe, Israel, and the U.S.

Researchers found that even after a year of follow-up care, omega-3 fatty acids did not seem to provide any significant benefit to preventing a relapse.

The studies show no serious adverse effects for people with Crohn's disease who take large doses of omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3s have anti-inflammatory properties and have been used in the treatment of inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. Omega-3 fatty acids can also benefit those with heart disease and other problems.

The study authors write that their research is "important" because it's "widespread" among people with Crohn's disease to turn to omega-3 supplements for help based on the positive results of previous research.

The research appears in the April 9 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.


TCCC.UK Advice......

If you are taking Omega-3 or other Fish Oils, and you feel they are helping you, I would continue to carry on taking your Fish Oils. Crohns attacks the joints in your body & taking Omega -3 should help. Glucosomine & MSM are also good for joint problems, along with Calcium tablets - CalcichewD3 Forte available on perscription from our family GP.

The Alternative Medicine Industry is always under attack from the major drug companies, who do not like the competition to their usually longterm non effect drugs, especially when it comes to Crohns.

Sarah, my wife takes one high concentrate Evening Primrose Oil & one high concentrate Cod Liver Oil with Omega-3 capsules everyday, along with her Aloe Vera Freedom gel drink that has Glucosomine & MSM in it, for her joints too. She has reversed her severe Osteoporosis on glyconutrients.

** Please do not rush off a buy your aloe vera off the High Street, tests on these aloes show high levels of water, weak concentrate, despite the bottle's claims of high % of aloe vera & in some cases they contain bacteria. When it comes to fighting Crohns you need the strongest aloe vera in the world. ( Please ring & talk to me about this ). I only buy from Forever Living Products as on this website.

** High Concentrated Omega-3 Capsules, Cod Liver Oil Capsules etc, can be bought by mail order from another company here in Kent - Nature's Best on tel no : 01892 552187 or Fax 01892 515863.

Website : www.NaturesBest.co.uk

Cimzia Approved to Treat Crohn's in Adults Who Don't Respond to Other Treatments

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

April 23, 2008 -- The FDA has approved a new prescription drug called Cimzia to treat Crohn's disease in adults who haven't responded to other conventional therapies.

Cimzia, given by injection, targets an inflammatory chemical called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha. Patients would get a shot of the drug once every two weeks at first, and then get a monthly injection if the first three shots are beneficial.

Cimzia "works to reduce the signs and symptoms of Crohn's, but it also carries risks that will require patients on it to be closely monitored by their physicians or other health care professionals," Julie Beitz, MD, director of the Office of Drug Evaluation III in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, says in an FDA news release.

UCB, the drug company that makes Cimzia, says that Cimzia will be available in the U.S. within 48 hours of the drug's approval on April 22.

WebMD first reported on Cimzia in July 2007, when The New England Journal of Medicine published results from the drug's clinical trials.

(What do you think about trying such a new medication? Talk with others on WebMD's Crohn's and Colitis: Support Group board.)

About Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is a chronic, inflammatory bowel disease that affects more than 1 million men and women worldwide. It has no cure and its cause is unknown.

Crohn's can cause diarrhea, fever, rectal bleeding, malnutrition, narrowing of the intestinal tract, obstructions, abscesses, cramping, abdominal pain, and abnormal connections (fistulas) leading from the intestine to the skin or internal organs.

"Crohn's is a debilitating disease that disrupts the quality of life for its sufferers," Beitz says.

Cimzia's Approval

According to UCB, the FDA approved Cimzia based on clinical trials that included more than 1,500 Crohn's patients. The patients either got Cimzia or a placebo drug.

Among patients with moderate to severe Crohn's, those taking Cimzia were more likely than those taking the placebo to have their Crohn's symptoms ease for up to six months, UCB notes.

"This drug works to reduce the signs and symptoms of Crohn's, but it also carries risks that will require patients on it to be closely monitored by their physicians or other health care professionals," Beitz says.

Cimzia's most common side effects are headache, upper respiratory tract infections, abdominal pain, injection site reactions, and nausea, according to the FDA, which notes that Cimzia may also raise the risk of serious and potentially fatal infections and increased risk of lymphomas (a type of cancer) and other malignancies.

"As seen with the use of other anti-TNF-alpha agents, serious but infrequent infections and malignancies have been reported," UCB says in a news release.

The FDA notes that although an increased risk of tumors was not seen in studies of Cimzia, those studies were too small and too brief to make a firm conclusion about tumor risk, so postmarketing studies and clinical trials will be required to get long-term safety data.

The FDA says patients taking Cimzia should be taught how to identify an infection and be instructed to contact their health care professional at the first sign of infection while on Cimzia. In cases of serious infections, Cimzia should be discontinued immediately, the FDA says.

** Please Be Aware Of These Serious Side Effects Before Taking This Drug.