DHA supplementation for late onset Stargardt disease: NAT-3 study

Giuseppe Querques¹, Pascale Benlian¹, Bernard Chanu², Nicolas Leveziel¹, Gabriel Coscas¹, Gisele Soubrane¹, Eric H Souied¹

¹Department of Ophthalmology, University of Paris XII, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Creteil, ²Department of Nutrition, University of Paris XII, Hopital Henry Mondor, Creteil, France

Background: We analyzed the effects of a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation in patients affected with late onset Stargardt disease (STGD).

Methods: DHA (840 mg/day) was given to 20 STGD patients for six months. A complete ophthalmologic examination, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG), was performed at inclusion day 0 (D0) and at month 6 (M6).

Results: Overall, no statistical differences have been observed at M6 vs D0 as regards BCVA and mfERG (P > 0.05). Mild Improvement of BCVA and improvement of mfERG was noted in seven/40 eyes of four/20 patients. In the first patient, the peak of the a wave increased from 66 nV/deg² to 75.4 nV/deg² in the right eye (RE) and 24.5 nV/deg² to 49.1 nV/deg² in the left eye (LE). The peak of the b wave improved from 122 nV/deg² to 157 nV/deg² in the RE, and 102 nV/deg² to 149 nV/deg² in the LE. In the second patient peaks of the a and b waves respectively increased from 11.8 nV/deg² to 72.1 nV/deg² and 53 nV/deg² to 185 nV/deg² in the RE. In the third patient the peak of the a wave increased from 37 nV/deg² to 43 nV/deg² in the RE, and from 31 nV/deg² to 45 nV/deg² in the LE; the peak of the b wave improved from 70 nV/deg² to 89 nV/deg² in the RE, and from 101 nV/deg² to 108 nV/deg² in the LE. In the fourth patient, the peak of the a wave increased from 39 nV/deg² to 42 nV/deg² in the RE, and from 40 nV/deg² to 43 nV/deg² in the LE; the peak of the b wave improved from 86 nV/deg² to 94 nV/deg² in the RE, and from 87 nV/deg² to 107 nV/deg² in the LE.

Conclusion: DHA seems to influence some functional parameters in patients affected with STGD. However, no short-term benefit should be expected from DHA supplementation.

Keywords: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), multifocal electroretinogram, omega-3, polyunsaturated fatty acid, retinal dystrophy, Stargardt disease

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