Newswise — Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center started a new study investigating the impact of omega-3 supplements on post-COVID symptoms that persist for more than 12 weeks after initial COVID infection — also known as “long COVID.” All Hackensack Meridian Health team members, suffering with long haul COVID symptoms, are eligible to participate in the study.
Why study the impact of it on long COVID? Your body needs omega-3 fatty acids for many functions, from muscle activity to cell growth. The omega-3 FA is known to produce less pro-inflammatory cytokines, therefore increasing omega-3 FA intake in the diet or supplementation could potentially decrease viral entry, promote better immune function, and decrease severity among those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
The study, which currently has 5 participants enrolled so far, is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, which means that participants will be randomly divided into two treatment groups. The first treatment group will receive EPA+DHA, an omega-3 supplement manufactured by KD Pharma, at a dosage amount that is below the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and American Heart Association (AHA) daily dosage safety thresholds. Participants will take three mini-capsules twice per day.
The second group will receive placebo on the same dosing schedule as the first treatment group. Neither the researchers nor the participants will know who is receiving the omega-3 supplement and who is receiving placebo.
“This study will help us determine the feasibility of a future grant-funded clinical trial to determine the efficacy of omega-3 supplementation on persistent COVID symptoms when compared to placebo among a larger population recovering from COVID-19,” said Manisha Parulekar, M.D., FACP, AGSF, CMD, director, Division of Geriatrics and co-director, Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health at Hackensack University Medical Center and associate professor at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
ABOUT HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Hackensack University Medical Center, a 771-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in New Jersey. Founded in 1888 as Bergen County's first hospital, it was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet®-recognized hospital for nursing excellence. The academic flagship of Hackensack Meridian Health, Hackensack University Medical Center's campus is home to facilities such as John Theurer Cancer Center, the Heart & Vascular Hospital, and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women’s and Children’s Pavilion. Recognized as being in the top 1% of hospitals in the nation and #2 in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report’s 2020-21 "Best Hospitals" Honor Roll, Hackensack University Medical Center also ranked as high-performing in cancer care, cardiology and heart surgery, gastroenterology and GI surgery, geriatrics, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology. Hackensack University Medical Center’s comprehensive clinical research portfolio includes studies focused on precision medicine, translational medicine, immunotherapy, cell therapy, and vaccine development.
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