Double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of fish oil and low-dose UVB in the treatment of psoriasis

Abstract

Since eicosanoids have been implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, less potent eicosanoid mediators derived from fish oil might improve psoriasis. Using a double‐blind, randomized, parallel design, 18 patients with stable, plaque psoriasis received capsules of either fish oil or identical‐appearing placebo olive oil for 15 weeks, with concomitant sub‐erythemal UVB in weeks 3 to 11. At the conclusion of phototherapy, and 4 weeks later, patients in the fish oil group had a greater decrease in the total body surface area of psoriasis and more improvement compared to patients in the olive oil group. The improvement in the fish oil group was statistically significantly greater for all parameters compared to the change in the olive oil group. The apparent safety and general health‐promoting features of fish oil could provide an ideal adjunctive therapy for psoriasis.