J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 2016; aop *Corresponding author: Dr. Salvador García-López, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco, Health Science Department, Calzada del Hueso. 1100 Col. Villa Quietud, Coyoacán, 04960 México, DF, Mexico, Phone: (52-55) 54 83 75 65, E-mail: sgarcia@correo.xoc.uam.mx; drsalvadorgarcialopez@gmail.com Rosina E. Villanueva Arriaga, Oralia Nájera Medina and Carmen Paulina Rodríguez López: Health Science Department, Biological Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco, Mexico City, Mexico Lauro Figueroa-Valverde and Elodia García Cervera: Laboratory of Pharmaco-Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemical and Biological Sciences of the Autonomous University of Campeche, Cam, Mexico Octavio Muñozcano Skidmore: T-III Nayaritas Community Health Center, Secretariat of Health of the DF, Mexico City, Mexico Marcela Rosas-Nexticapa: Nutrition Faculty, Veracruzana University, Xalapa Veracuz, Mexico Salvador García-López*, Rosina E. Villanueva Arriaga, Oralia Nájera Medina, Carmen Paulina Rodríguez López, Lauro Figueroa-Valverde, Elodia García Cervera, Octavio Muñozcano Skidmore and Marcela Rosas-Nexticapa One month of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation improves lipid profiles, glucose levels and blood pressure in overweight schoolchildren with metabolic syndrome DOI 10.1515/jpem-2015-0324 Received August 13, 2015; accepted July 22, 2016 Abstract Background: This study sought to investigate the effects of omega (ω)-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supple- mentation on the lipid profiles and glucose (GLU) levels of overweight (OW) schoolchildren with metabolic syndrome (MS). Methods: Thirty-nine OW schoolchildren with MS, includ- ing 19 girls and 20 boys, received 1-month of dietary supplementation with gel capsules containing ω-3 fatty acids. Fasting lipid profiles and GLU levels were measured before and after supplementation. Results: Both sexes of OW schoolchildren with MS who received daily supplementation with 2.4 g of ω-3 fatty acids for 1 month displayed improved lipid profiles, reduced fasting GLU levels and reduced blood pressure (BP). Conclusions: These findings support the addition of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation to programs aiming to improve the metabolic status of OW children with MS, although additional research on the longer-term safety and efficacy of this treatment in this population is required. Keywords: metabolic syndrome; obesity; omega-3 supple- ment; schoolchildren. Introduction According to a survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2010, an estimated 43 million chil- dren were overweight (OW) or obese (OB) [1]. The population of children with obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide as a result of non-active lifestyles and cultural alimentary habits that contribute to the development of insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome (MS), which are risk factors for future cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke [2]. Therefore, we hypothesized that supplementation of the diets of OW schoolchildren with MS with omega (ω)-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for 1 month would improve their lipid profiles and decrease or prevent further increases in their glucose (GLU) levels. The rates of obesity have increased among American [3] and Brazilian children [4]. Among Mexican children, the rate of abdominal obesity has increased by 1.1% per year, and this rate of increase is the highest worldwide [5]. The presence of excessive amounts of adipose tissue in children constitutes a public health problem that justifies preventive treatment. It has been proposed that omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids play important roles in human health and disease, as they have been shown to reduce body weight and fat deposition in animal models and human clinical studies [6–9]. After consumption, these fatty acids are incorporated into cell membranes where they modulate membrane protein func- tion, cellular signaling, and gene expression [10]. Previous studies [11, 12] have shown that the incorporation of fatty - 10.1515/jpem-2015-0324 Downloaded from De Gruyter Online at 09/25/2016 07:02:50PM by drsalvadorgarcialopez@gmail.com via Salvador García-López