10.23.07
Indication: Diabetes onset in children
Source: JAMA 2007;298:1420-1428.
Research: According to a retrospective study, cod liver oil supplements in infancy have been associated with a decreased risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Taking these previous findings into consideration, researchers wanted to determine whether intakes of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are associated with the development of islet autoimmunity (IA) in children-a situation where the body attacks its own insulin-producing cells. The Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY), conducted in Denver, Colorado, between January 1994 and November 2006, examined 1770 children at increased risk for type 1 diabetes, defined as either possession of a high diabetes risk HLA genotype or having a sibling or parent with type 1 diabetes. The mean age at follow-up was 6.2 years. IA was assessed in association with reported dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids starting at age 1 year. A case-cohort study (N = 244) was also conducted in which risk of IA by polyunsaturated fatty acid content of erythrocyte membranes (as a percentage of total lipids) was examined.
Results: Fifty-eight children developed IA. Adjusting for HLA genotype, family history of type 1 diabetes, caloric intake and omega 6 fatty acid intake, omega 3 fatty acid intake was inversely associated with risk of IA. The association was strengthened when the definition of the outcome was limited to those positive for two or more autoantibodies. In the case-cohort study, omega 3 fatty acid content of erythrocyte membranes was also inversely associated with IA risk. These findings lead researchers to conclude that dietary intake of omega 3 fatty acids is associated with reduced risk of IA in children at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes.