Could Omega 3 fatty acids reduce the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients undergoing coronary angiography? A randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Saudi journal of kidney diseases and transplantation 2021-03, Vol.32 (2), p.328-335
• Main Authors: Alrowaie, Fadel, Almatham, Khalid, Alsamadi, Faisal, Bashir, Muhammad, Munshi, Humariya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetylcysteine; Acetylcysteine - administration & dosage; Acetylcysteine - pharmacology; Acute Kidney Injury - chemically induced; Acute Kidney Injury - diagnosis; Acute Kidney Injury - metabolism; Administration, Oral; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Angiography; Cardiac patients; Chronic kidney failure; Contrast Media - adverse effects; Coronary Angiography - adverse effects; Creatinine - blood; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - administration & dosage; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - pharmacology; Female; Free Radical Scavengers - administration & dosage; Humans; Kidney diseases; Kidney Diseases - chemically induced; Kidney Diseases - diagnosis; Kidney Diseases - metabolism; Male; Medical imaging; Middle Aged; Omega-3 fatty acids; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1319-2442; 2320-3838
• DOI: 10.4103/1319-2442.335443

Contrast medium-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a leading cause of acquired acute kidney injury and has been associated with prolonged hospitalization and adverse clinical outcomes. This study aimed to determine if omega 3 fatty acids reduce the risk of CIN in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing coronary angiography. A total of 130 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography were randomly assigned to one of two groups as follows: 67 patients were assigned to the N-acetylcysteine (NAC; 1200 mg) and 63 patients were assigned to the omega 3 fatty acid (4 g). Both drugs were administered orally twice per day one day before and on the day of contrast administration. Of the 130 patients enrolled in this study, 10 (7.7%) experienced an increase of at least 0.5 mg/dL (44 μmol/L) in serum creatinine levels 48 h after administration of the contrast agent including 5 of the 67 patients in the NAC group (7.5%) and 5 of the 63 patients in the omega 3 fatty acids group (7.9%; P = 0.919). There were no significant differences in the need for renal replacement therapy (3.0% vs. 9.5%, P = 0.121) or in the mortality rate (3.0% vs. 6.3%, P = 0.361) between the two groups. Short-term prophylactic omega 3 fatty acid treatment with hydration does not reduce the risk of CIN in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing coronary angiography.