Krill Oil for Pain in Elders

Summary

Chronic musculoskeletal pain contributes to mobility disability among older adults. Nutritional interventions, like omega-3 fatty acids, may help manage pain and improve physical function. Supplementation with krill oil may offer advantages to fish oil due to better absorption and additional nutrients. This pilot study aims to assess the feasibility of a clinical trial to determine the impact of krill oil supplementation on pain and function in older adults, informing future research.

Timeline

Start

2025-01-17

Primary completion

2025-12-17

Completion

2025-12-17

Publications

• Background Sibille KT, King C, Garrett TJ, Glover TL, Zhang H, Chen H, Reddy D, Goodin BR, Sotolongo A, Petrov ME, Cruz-Almeida Y, Herbert M, Bartley EJ, Edberg JC, Staud R, Redden DT, Bradley LA, Fillingim RB. Omega-6: Omega-3 PUFA Ratio, Pain, Functioning, and Distress in Adults With Knee Pain. Clin J Pain. 2018 Feb;34(2):182-189. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000517.
• Background Stonehouse W, Benassi-Evans B, Bednarz J, Vincent AD, Hall S, Hill CL. Krill oil improved osteoarthritic knee pain in adults with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis: a 6-month multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Sep 2;116(3):672-685. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac125.
• Background Suzuki Y, Fukushima M, Sakuraba K, Sawaki K, Sekigawa K. Krill Oil Improves Mild Knee Joint Pain: A Randomized Control Trial. PLoS One. 2016 Oct 4;11(10):e0162769. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162769. eCollection 2016.
• Background Alkhedhairi SA, Aba Alkhayl FF, Ismail AD, Rozendaal A, German M, MacLean B, Johnston L, Miller AA, Hunter AM, Macgregor LJ, Combet E, Quinn TJ, Gray SR. The effect of krill oil supplementation on skeletal muscle function and size in older adults: A randomised controlled trial. Clin Nutr. 2022 Jun;41(6):1228-1235. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2022.04.007. Epub 2022 Apr 20.
• Background Laslett LL, Scheepers LEJM, Antony B, Wluka AE, Cai G, Hill CL, March L, Keen HI, Otahal P, Cicuttini FM, Jones G. Krill Oil for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2024 Jun 18;331(23):1997-2006. doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.6063.
• Results Tamargo JA, Simic K, Capote S, Przkora R, Sibille KT, Cruz-Almeida Y, Anton SD. Krill Oil for Pain in Elders: protocol for a pilot, double-blind, randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of 4 g/d krill oil supplementation for chronic musculoskeletal pain and mobility limitations in older adults. Br J Nutr. 2026 May 18:1-11. doi: 10.1017/S0007114526107557. Online ahead of print.
• Results Tamargo JA, Carvajal E, Simic K, Przkora R, Anton SD, Cruz-Almeida Y. Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Krill Oil Supplementation for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Older Adults. J Nutr. 2026 Jun;156(6):101517. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101517. Epub 2026 Apr 1.

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