n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) Supplementation in Young Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

September 10, 2010 updated by: The Adelaide and Meath Hospital

Long Chain (LC) n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) Supplementation in Young Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): A Cross-over, Placebo Controlled Dietary Intervention Study

This is a dietary intervention study designed to assess the impact of long chain (LC) n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Considering that LC n-3 PUFA have been reported to have a beneficial affect on many of the adverse metabolic and hormonal aspects of PCOS, it was hypothesised that dietary supplementation with LC n-3 PUFA would have a beneficial therapeutic impact.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a chronic condition affecting young women of reproductive age. Long-term, safe and efficacious treatments are needed for women with this condition, and dietary therapy may have an important role in its treatment. LC n-3 PUFA have been shown to be potent biological regulators, involved in the amelioration of many of the adverse metabolic risk factors which are often present in women with PCOS. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of LC n-3 PUFA on fasting and post-prandial lipid metabolism, as well as on the hormonal profile of women with PCOS.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
25

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Ireland
      • Dublin, Ireland, 24
        • Diabetes Day Centre, The Adelaide and Meath Hospital
      • Dublin, Ireland, 4
        • Nutrigenomics Research Group, UCD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 40 years (ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Had a positive diagnosis of PCOS as defined according to the NIH criteria as chronic oligomenorrhoea (< 9 menstrual cycles per year) and clinical and/or biochemical evidence of hyperandrogenism, in the absence of other disorders causing the same phenotype. Clinical criteria included hirsutism with a Ferriman-Galwey score greater than 9, acne or male pattern alopecia; biochemical criteria included total-testosterone, androstenedione or dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) greater than the laboratory reference range.
  • Were between the ages of 18 and 40

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Were under 18 years or greater than 40 years old,
  • Were non-Caucasian
  • Were pregnant, lactating or trying to conceive
  • Had a body mass index (BMI) <18kg/m2 or >50kg/m2
  • Had a recent illness or any chronic illness likely to influence results
  • Were taking any medications likely to influence the results including hormonal contraception, antihypertensives, lipid lowering medications, antiplatelet agents, anti-inflammatory agents
  • Were taking nutritional supplements
  • Consumed greater than 2 portions of oily fish per week

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: CROSSOVER
  • Masking: DOUBLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: LC n-3 PUFA
Supplementation with 4 x 1g fish oil capsules (Seven Seas, Ireland) containing 1.9g combined EPA and DHA daily for 6 weeks.
Dietary supplement: LC n-3 PUFA (fish oil) Supplement
4 x 1g LC n-3 PUFA (fish oil)supplement containing 1.9g EPA and DHA given daily for 6 weeks
Other Names:
  • LC n-3 PUFA (fish oil)
  • Placebo (PL)
  • Wash-out (WO)
PLACEBO_COMPARATOR: Placebo (olive oil) supplement
4 x 1g olive oil capsules (Millas Inc) were given daily for 6 weeks.
Dietary supplement: Placebo (olive oil) supplement
4 x 1g olive oil capsules were given daily for 6 weeks
NO_INTERVENTION: Wash out period
A 6 week wash out period separated the LC n-3 PUFA and the Placebo (olive oil) arms. During this period the subjects took no supplements. This arm was designed to minimise a cross-over effect.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Fasting lipid metabolism
Time Frame: Following supplementation with LCn-3 PUFA or placebo for 6 weeks
Following supplementation with LCn-3 PUFA or placebo for 6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Plasma hormonal profile
Time Frame: Following supplementation with LCn-3PUFA or placebo for 6 weeks
Following supplementation with LCn-3PUFA or placebo for 6 weeks
Postprandial lipid metabolism
Time Frame: Following supplementation with LCn-3 PUFA or placebo for 6 weeks
Following supplementation with LCn-3 PUFA or placebo for 6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The Adelaide and Meath Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University College Dublin

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: James Gibney, Dr, The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, incorporating The National Children's Hospital
  • Principal Investigator: Helen M Roche, Prof, UCD

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2007

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 1, 2008

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2008

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 24, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 26, 2010

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 27, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 13, 2010

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 10, 2010

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2008

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • DDC-UCD-PCOS

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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