- 期刊
- OpenAccess
老年憂鬱症攝取omega-3改善憂鬱症狀之實證探討
The Evidence-Based Evaluation of Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Improving Depressive Symptoms in Elderly Patients with Depression
摘要
隨著臺灣人口老年化，憂鬱症是老年人常見疾病之一，容易有自殺行為且成功率高，而攝取omega-3能強化大腦細胞膜和神經傳導物質，以改善憂鬱情緒，故引發探討omega-3改善老年憂鬱症情緒症狀之實證成效。依PICO設立關鍵字，搜尋Cochrane Library、PubMed、Embase及華藝之資料庫並篩選，共納入2篇系統性文獻回顧，以CASP檢核表進行評讀及Oxford Center for EBM評估證據等級為Level 1。Bae & Kim（2018）收錄6篇隨機對照試驗分析，共4605位老年人，omega-3成份為EPA、DHA及ALA，每天攝取0.3～2.5克，持續2～40個月，使用GDS-15及CES-D量表測量憂鬱，結果發現omega-3能顯著改善輕度至重度憂鬱症老年人的憂鬱症狀，但對於心理健康的老年人無顯著效果；Bai et al.（2018）收錄9篇隨機對照試驗分析，共3549位69～90歲老年人，omega-3成份為EPA和DHA，每天攝取0.3～2.5克，持續2～40個月，使用GDS-15及CES-D量表測量憂鬱，結果發現攝取omega-3劑量≧1.5克／天才有顯著改善。綜合兩篇文獻得知攝取omega-3能有效改善老年憂鬱症之憂鬱症狀，但適宜的劑量需再一步探討，建議未來能有更多研究探討不同omega-3劑量對於改善老年人憂鬱症狀之效果。實務應用上，可將omega-3作為老年憂鬱症的輔助治療之一，鼓勵老年憂鬱症患者每天攝取含有omega-3的食物，如深海魚類及芝麻等，或是營養攝取劑，如魚油等，以減輕其憂鬱症狀，提升生活品質。
並列摘要
With the aging population in Taiwan, depression has become a common disease among the elderly, which is associated with suicidal behavior and a high success rate. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to strengthen brain cell membranes and neurotransmitters, improving depressive symptoms. This has led to an exploration of the empirical efficacy of omega-3 in improving the emotional symptoms of depression in the elderly. Using PICO keywords, a search of Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and the Airiti Library was conducted, and 2 systematic reviews were selected, with quality assessed using the CASP checklist and evidence level evaluated as Level 1 by the Oxford Center for EBM. Bae & Kim (2018) analyzed 6 randomized controlled trials with a total of 4605 elderly individuals, who took EPA, DHA, and ALA omega-3s at doses of 0.3-2.5 grams per day for 2-40 months. Depressive symptoms were measured using the GDS-15 and CES-D scales, and the results showed that omega-3 significantly improved depressive symptoms in elderly individuals with mild to severe depression, but had no significant effect on the mental health of healthy elderly individuals. Bai et al. (2018) analyzed 9 randomized controlled trials with a total of 3549 elderly individuals aged 69-90 years, who took EPA and DHA omega-3s at doses of 0.3-2.5 grams per day for 2-40 months. Depressive symptoms were measured using the GDS-15 and CES-D scales, and the results showed that omega-3 had a significant improvement on depressive symptoms only at a dose of 1.5 grams per day or higher. The two papers combined indicate that omega-3 can effectively improve depressive symptoms in elderly individuals, but the appropriate dosage needs to be further explored. It is recommended that future studies investigate the effects of different doses of omega-3 on improving depressive symptoms in the elderly. In practical applications, omega-3 can be used as an adjunctive treatment for elderly depression, and elderly individuals with depression should be encouraged to consume omega-3-rich foods such as deep-sea fish and sesame, or nutritional supplements such as fish oil, to reduce their depressive symptoms and improve their quality of life.