In one recent study, researchers observed an improvement
in lean body mass in patients who received a similar dose of EPA
(2.2 g per day) for cancer cachexia. Specifically, the investigators
observed a positive correlation between the quantity of
nutritional supplements enriched with n-3 fatty acids and lean
body mass and weight. In our study, we did not observe a trend
of improved weight or lean body mass. Although we used similar
outcomes such as bioelectrical impedance and anthropometrics,
our patients received treatment for 2 weeks, compared with 8
weeks in the comparative study. Our results regarding nutritional
status should be regarded with caution because of the much
shorter duration of our study. Further research is required to
demonstrate whether higher doses of n-3 fatty acids given over
longer periods of time are capable of improving lean body mass