Longitudinal Analysis of the Transcriptome From Mononuclear Blood Cells and of the Inflammatory Status of Obese Patients, Supplemented With High Doses of Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA and DHA)

Methodology Study design. This is a prospective, experimental, comparative, non-blinded (open) study.

Adult obese (BMI ≥ 35.0 kg/m2) patients, age 25 to 45 y, of any gender will be recruited from the outpatient Clinic of Obesity at the INCMNSZ. The patients may have (or not) insulin resistance, but must not have any of the following: type 2 diabetes (controlled or not), hypertension, liver or kidney failure, metabolic syndrome, taking antinflammatory drugs or dietary supplements, and in the case of women, pregnant or lactating.

The control group will consist of 40 healthy adult non-obese volunteers (BMI 18.5 to 23.0 kg/m2), age 25 to 45 y, of any gender who accept to participate in the study. This group will only be studied at the beginning (time 0) and they will not consume the fish oil supplement, since its use will be to obtain reference values for all variables described.

Fish oil supplement will be the source of omega-3 fatty acids (w-3 FA) and this will be a donation from the Inflammation Research Foundation (IRF, Boston MA), in the form of sealed unmarked bottles with 120 capsules/bottle.

Each 1 gram capsule contains 0.6 g of w-3 FA (0.4 g of EPA and 0.2 g of DHA). In order to provide 4.8 g of w-3 FA each obese patient must consume 8 capsules/day, distributed as follows: 2 capsules at breakfast, 4 capsules with the main meal and 2 capsules at dinner.