Author Archives: admin

Research published last year by Brain Health Education and Research Institute’s Michael Lewis, MD, in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reported that active duty military with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were 62% more likely to have committed suicide compared to those with higher levels. The case-control study was reported widely in the news including CNN and the front page of the USA Today. Since then, Dr. Lewis and his NIH collaborator and psychiatrist, Joseph Hibbeln, MD, have been advocating for a prospective study to further evaluate their seminal findings.

This week, the military announced they are funding a three-year study to do just that. In cooperation with the NIH, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina led by Bernadette Marriott, PhD, a professor in the Clinical Neuroscience Division of the Institute of Psychiatry, will test whether omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils can relieve the anxieties and quiet the suicidal thoughts plaguing many combat veterans.

“The potential good versus the potential extraordinarily low risk and low cost make this a type of intervention that can be – if findings are warranted – rolled out extremely fast and on a large scale,” said Dr. Ron Acierno, a co-investigator on the project at USC. “Omega-3s are among the primary fatty acids in the brain… They’re responsible for neural generation and neural repair – for new neurons to be made and for broken ones to be fixed.”According to Dr. Hibbeln, “Research conducted in our lab [at the NIH] during the last 20 years points to a fundamental role for omega-3 fatty acids in protecting against major depression, substance abuse and other problems. Here we hope to be successful in understanding if omega-3 may play a role in reducing risk of severe suicidal behaviors among U.S. military veterans.”

While Dr. Lewis is not directly involved in this project, he adds, “It is great to know that the results of my research and one of the directions we’ve been asking the military to pursue are paying off. My good friend and US Public Health Service physician, Joe Hibbeln, was able to submit the proposal to DoD after my retirement from the Army and arranged for Medical University of South Carolina to take the lead. MUSC has the potential to do a fantastic job with this and we hope that the results will be quick and positive so we can start making a dent in the problem of military suicide with something simple and inexpensive as omega-3s.”

Another co-principal investigator of the study, Hugh Myrick, MD, said, “This study represents a novel intervention that could reduce the risk for suicide. If the results are positive, the impact on veterans, our current military personnel, and society will be immeasurable.”

Medical University of South Carolina Press Release: http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/musc/news/res_news/oct12_army_omega3.htm

Michael D. Lewis, MD; Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD; Jeremiah E. Johnson, RD; Yu Hong Lin, PhD; Duk Y. Hyun, BS; and James D. Loewke, BS. Suicide Deaths of Active-Duty US Military and Omega-3 Fatty-Acid Status: A Case-Control Comparison. J Clin Psychiatry 2011;72(12):1585–1590. http://article.psychiatrist.com/dao_1-login.asp?ID=10007556&RSID=64983014079774

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/US-military-Low-omega-3-levels-may-boost-suicide-risk

Dr. Lewis was the special guest of Dr. Garko on TalkZone’s “Let’s Talk Nutrition” for the full two hour show Wednesday, March 28th.  It was an amazing show with tremendous information to help understand the correlation between TBI and Omega-3s.

Here are links to recordings of the two one-hour segments of the show:

Dr. Lewis interview 1st hr

Dr. Lewis interview 2nd hr

(Please note – These links may not play in Chrome Browser due to a limitation in the browser software.  Please use Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari)

Michael D. Lewis, M.D.,^1* Joseph R. Hibbeln, M.D.,^2* Jeremiah E. Johnson, R.D.,¹ Yu Hong Lin, Ph.D.,² Duk Y. Hyun,² and James D. Loewke²

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The recent escalation of US military suicide deaths to record numbers has been a sentinel for impaired force efficacy and has accelerated the search for reversible risk factors.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine whether deficiencies of neuroactive, highly unsaturated omega-3 essential fatty acids (n-3 HUFAs), in particular docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are associated with increased risk of suicide death among a large random sample of active-duty US military.

METHOD:

In this retrospective case-control study, serum fatty acids were quantified as a percentage of total fatty acids among US militarysuicide deaths (n = 800) and controls (n = 800) matched for age, date of collection of sera, sex, rank, and year of incident. Participants were active-duty US military personnel (2002-2008). For cases, age at death ranged from 17-59 years (mean = 27.3 years, SD = 7.3 years). Outcome measures included death by suicide, postdeployment health assessment questionnaire (Department of Defense Form 2796), and ICD-9 mental health diagnosis data.

RESULTS:

Risk of suicide death was 14% higher per SD of lower DHA percentage (OR = 1.14; 95% CI, 1.02-1.27; P < .03) in adjusted logistic regressions. Among men, risk of suicide death was 62% greater with low serum DHA status (adjusted OR = 1.62; 95% CI, 1.12-2.34; P < .01, comparing DHA below 1.75% [n = 1,389] to DHA of 1.75% and above [n = 141]). Risk of suicide death was 52% greater in those who reported having seen wounded, dead, or killed coalition personnel (OR = 1.52; 95% CI, 1.11-2.09; P < .01).

CONCLUSION:

This US military population had a very low and narrow range of n-3 HUFA status. Although these data suggest that low serum DHA may be a risk factor for suicide, well-designed intervention trials are needed to evaluate causality.

© Copyright 2011 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Full Text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3259251/?tool=pubmed

COL Michael D. Lewis , MC USA * ; Julian Bailes , MD †
ABSTRACT Nutrition has traditionally involved in supplying energy and hydration. An emerging concept developed by the authors is the concept of using omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA s) to increase the resilience of the brain. The n-3 FAs have numerous proven benefi ts including support of cardiovascular and psychiatric health. Docosahexaenoic acid in particular, is found in high concentrations in the brain. N-3 FAs provide benefi ts by exerting a protective mechanism at the cellular and neuronal levels including the modulation of infl ammatory cascade following traumatic brain injury.

Promising research and evolving clinical experience now indicate that n-3 FA is useful and effective for recovery following traumatic brain injury. More exciting is that new laboratory research shows the benefi cial effects extend to when n-3 FA is given before injury. Given the safety profi le, availability, and affordability of n-3 FA, Generally Recognized As Safe amounts of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (up to 3,000 mg daily) should be considered for the athlete and soldier, not only for its general health benefi ts, but particularly also for those at risk or high exposure to brain impacts. A comprehensive, coordinated research program to evaluate the multiple uses of n-3 FA should be a high priority for the Department of Defense.