According to a small placebo-controlled clinical trial, daily omega-3 supplementation decreases homocysteine levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of mortality among type 2 diabetes patients, and the concentration of homocysteine is believed to play a role in cardiovascular diseases.

In a separate study of 830 Finnish men and women with type 2 diabetes, high levels of homocysteine were associated with increased risk for fatal and nonfatal heart attacks, even after accounting for several other risk factors. High homocysteine levels also increased risks for death from heart attack.

Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation could be effective in some type 2 diabetes complications and in the control of the glycemic index. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on the concentration of homocysteine and MDA in type 2 diabetes patients.

In the randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 81 patients with type 2 diabetes, the patients were randomly assigned to either the treatment or control groups. Each subject received three capsules of omega-3 fatty acids or a placebo every day for a period of 2 months. The two groups were similar in terms of body mass index and food intake. At the beginning of the study and after 2 months of supplementation their levels of haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), homocysteine, MDA, C-reactive protein (CRP), total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were determined.

Due to omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, homocysteine was reduced significantly by 22% in the treatment group compared to 1% in the control group, and HbA1c decreased by 0.75% in the treatment group and increased by 0.26% in the control group. The changes in fasting blood sugar (FBS), malondialdehyde (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP), total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels were not significant.

The study concluded that consumption of omega-3 fatty acid supplements (3 g/day) for 2 months decreases the levels of homocysteine in type 2 diabetes patients with no change in FBS, MDA and CRP levels.

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References:
1. Sh. Pooya, M.D. Jalali, A.D. Jazayery, A. Saedisomeolia, M.R. Eshraghian, F. Tooran. The efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on plasma homocysteine and malondialdehyde levels of type 2 diabetic patients. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2009.04.002.
2. M. Soinio, J. Marniemi, M. Laakso, S. Lehto, and T. Rönnemaa. High Homocysteine Levels Increase Risk for Heart Attacks in People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Annals of Internal Medicine, volume 140, pages 94-100.

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