Could Omega 3 Fatty Acids Preserve Muscle Health in Rheumatoid Arthritis?

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 223
• Main Authors: Lanchais, Kassandra, Capel, Frederic, Tournadre, Anne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.01.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Arthritis, Rheumatoid - complications; Atherosclerosis; Body composition; Body mass index; Cardiovascular disease; cardiovascular diseases; cholesterol; Chronic illnesses; comorbidity; Cytokines; death; Diabetes; dietary supplements; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - pharmacology; Food and Nutrition; Health risk assessment; Heart attacks; high density lipoprotein; Humans; Hypertension; Inflammation; Insulin resistance; Life Sciences; lipid metabolism; Lipids; lipotoxicity; low density lipoprotein; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; mitochondria; Mortality; muscles; Musculoskeletal system; nutrients; Obesity; Omega-3 fatty acids; Pathogenesis; patients; prevalence; Review; Rheumatic diseases; Rheumatoid arthritis; risk; Risk factors; Sarcopenia; Sarcopenia - etiology; Sarcopenia - prevention & control; skeletal muscle; toxicity; Womens health; lipids; cardiovascular diseases; rheumatoid arthritis; muscle; omega 3; inflammation; sarcopénie
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu12010223

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by a high prevalence of death due to cardiometabolic diseases. As observed during the aging process, several comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disorders (CVD), insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and sarcopenia, are frequently associated to RA. These abnormalities could be closely linked to alterations in lipid metabolism. Indeed, RA patients exhibit a lipid paradox, defined by reduced levels of total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol whereas the CVD risk is increased. Moreover, the accumulation of toxic lipid mediators (i.e., lipotoxicity) in skeletal muscles can induce mitochondrial dysfunctions and insulin resistance, which are both crucial determinants of CVD and sarcopenia. The prevention or reversion of these biological perturbations in RA patients could contribute to the maintenance of muscle health and thus be protective against the increased risk for cardiometabolic diseases, dysmobility and mortality. Yet, several studies have shown that omega 3 fatty acids (FA) could prevent the development of RA, improve muscle metabolism and limit muscle atrophy in obese and insulin-resistant subjects. Thereby, dietary supplementation with omega 3 FA should be a promising strategy to counteract muscle lipotoxicity and for the prevention of comorbidities in RA patients.