An open-label, multicenter, phase 2 study of a food enriched with docosahexaenoic acid in adults with sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) induces red blood cell sickling, which causes debilitating symptoms including vaso-occlusion and inflammation. We investigated a food enriched with omega-3 fatty acids to determine its effect on certain factors: blood cell membrane fatty acid composition (including anti-inflammatory elements—docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)—and the pro-inflammatory, arachidonic acid (AA)); the inflammation biomarker, C-reactive protein (CRP); and vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) pain. Ten adults with SCD ingested the food, daily, for 28 days. Evaluated measures included blood cell membrane fatty acid ratios (AA vs omega-3 (DHA+EPA)), CRP (mg/L) levels, and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores (a VOC assessment). The food was well tolerated and led to a statistically significant CRP reduction (39%). However, changes in omega-3 fatty acid ratios and VAS scores were not significant. Overall, while the omega-3-enriched food reduced inflammation, larger, blinded studies are needed to assess its effectiveness on other measures.