Gallstone dissolution effects of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Ursodeoxycholic Acid.

<h2 id="background">Background</h2><ul><li>Gallstone disease is a prevalent digestive disorder with acute cases causing severe pain and often requires emergency cholecystectomy in the presence of acute cholecystitis.</li><li>Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the only proven and extensively used agent for dissolving gallstones.</li><li>Epidemiological and animal studies indicate possible therapeutic advantages of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) for dissolving cholesterol gallstones.</li></ul><h2 id="aims">Aims</h2><ul><li>This study helps to assess if the addition of PUFA to UDCA enhances gallstone dissolution in patients with cholesterol gallstones.</li></ul><h2 id="methods">Methods</h2><ul><li>Randomized, prospective, preliminary clinical trial.</li><li>Among 59 screened patients, 45 patients completed treatment and were divided into two groups respectively.<ul><li><strong>Monotherapy group (24 patients)</strong>: UDCA 200 mg 3 times per day (at every meal)</li><li><strong>Combination group (21 patients):</strong> PUFA 1,000 mg + UDCA 200 mg 3 times per day.</li></ul></li><li>Criteria for inclusion: Gallstone diameter &lt;15 mm on ultrasonography, radiolucent stones on plain X-ray, and mild symptoms.</li><li>Evaluation Parameters: Gallstone dissolution rates, response rates, and adverse events were evaluated.</li></ul><h2 id="results">Results</h2><ul><li>Gallstone dissolution rate tended to be higher in the combination group than in the monotherapy group (45.7% vs 9.9%).</li></ul><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:678/283;" src="https://cdn.megawecare.com/GHBY/Internal-Images/gallstone-dissolution-rates-fig-01.PNG" width="678" height="283"></figure><ul><li>Radiological response rate was also significantly higher in the combination group (90.5% vs 41.7%).</li><li>Patients with gallbladder sludge exhibited higher dissolution and response rates compared to those with distinct stones in both groups.</li><li>Abdominal ultrasound results before and after combination therapy is shown in figure 2</li></ul><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:625/297;" src="https://cdn.megawecare.com/GHBY/Internal-Images/abdominal-ultrasound-findings-fig-02.webp" width="625" height="297"></figure><h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2><ul><li>Combination of UDCA and PUFA treatment is more efficient in dissolving cholesterol gallstones more effectively than UDCA alone, without significant complications.</li></ul>

GASTRO UPDATES 2024 ISSUE 4

<ul><li><a href="#background">Background</a></li><li><a href="#aims">Aims</a></li><li><a href="#methods">Methods</a></li><li><a href="#results">Results</a></li><li><a href="#conclusion">Conclusion</a></li></ul>

Gallstone dissolution effects of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Ursodeoxycholic Acid.

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