Omega-3 trials did not establish lower organ rejection after transplantation
A review found some favorable blood pressure and cholesterol results, but no statistically significant reduction in its primary outcome: graft rejection.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review did not find a statistically significant reduction in transplant rejection with omega-3 supplementation. Some blood pressure and cholesterol measures improved, with findings varying by transplanted organ and outcome. Those changes do not establish protection against rejection, and the nonsignificant rejection results do not prove that supplementation has no possible effect.
The authors cite variation between studies and limited outcome data. The abstract does not provide rejection effect estimates, confidence intervals, or control details, making it difficult to judge how much benefit or harm remains compatible with the results.
What researchers found
Graft rejection
Rejection results at 30 days, 3 months, and 1 year after transplantation did not significantly favor omega-3 supplementation. The trial comparator conditions are not reported in the abstract.
Separate the outcomes
Rejection was the primary outcome. Favorable secondary findings included diastolic blood pressure and total cholesterol, particularly among kidney recipients, and systolic blood pressure among heart recipients; these answer different clinical questions.
Results were uneven
Findings for other lipids and kidney-function measures were inconsistent and mostly nonsignificant. The abstract also reports no significant effect on calcineurin inhibitor toxicity, reinforcing that the review did not show a uniform benefit.
The original publication
Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in solid organ transplant recipients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Samankan S, Gharekhani A, Khiali S et al.
Clin Nutr ESPEN · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40912359
- Record checked
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