Study questions fish oil supplements
Source: Agencies |
April 12, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FISH oil supplements of so-called omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish like tuna and salmon, don't ward off heart attacks and strokes in people with heart disease, according to an international analysis.
The research, which appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine and covered 14 studies, found no difference in the number of heart attacks, strokes or deaths among more than 20,000 people with heart disease who were randomly given fish oil supplements or placebo pills.
Research has been mixed on the heart-related benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids, specifically those known as EPA and DHA, which can be taken as fish oil supplements as well as eaten. The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of such fish a week.
"There is a common perception that fish oil supplements have been proven to prevent cardiovascular disease, and in fact the evidence has been inconsistent and inconclusive," said JoAnn Manson, head of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who co-wrote a commentary published with the study.
"It's an important issue, because a large percentage of the population is taking fish oil supplements over-the-counter," she told Reuters Health.
The research, which appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine and covered 14 studies, found no difference in the number of heart attacks, strokes or deaths among more than 20,000 people with heart disease who were randomly given fish oil supplements or placebo pills.
Research has been mixed on the heart-related benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids, specifically those known as EPA and DHA, which can be taken as fish oil supplements as well as eaten. The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of such fish a week.
"There is a common perception that fish oil supplements have been proven to prevent cardiovascular disease, and in fact the evidence has been inconsistent and inconclusive," said JoAnn Manson, head of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who co-wrote a commentary published with the study.
"It's an important issue, because a large percentage of the population is taking fish oil supplements over-the-counter," she told Reuters Health.
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