According to research, fish oil supplements may increase a person’s risk of developing heart disease or stroke, but could reduce the risk for those who already have cardiovascular disease.
Fish oil is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. The NHS recommends at least one serving of fatty fish per week to help prevent the development of cardiovascular disease.
To determine how much protection it confers, a team of researchers in China, the US, the UK and Denmark monitored the health of more than 400,000 UK biobank participants for an average of 12 years. to estimate associations between fish oil and fish oil. supplements and new cases of atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat); heart attack, stroke and heart failure; and death in people without known cardiovascular disease.
They also assessed whether these supplements affected the progression of heart disease.
Published in the journal BMJ Medicine, the study found that among people without any known cardiovascular disease at the start of the monitoring period, regular consumption of fish oil supplements was associated with an increased risk of 13 % of developing atrial fibrillation and at an increased risk of 5%. to have a stroke.
But for patients with heart disease early in the study period, fish oil supplements were associated with a 15% lower risk of progression from atrial fibrillation to heart attack, and a 9% lower risk of progression from heart failure to death.
The benefits and risks of omega-3 supplementation have not been uniformly observed, the study notes. The risk of healthy patients experiencing a heart attack, stroke or heart failure was 6% higher in women and 6% higher in non-smokers.
The beneficial effect was also greater among older people and men with heart problems, where the risk of transition from good health to death was 11% and 7% lower, respectively.
This is an observational study, so no conclusions can be drawn about causal factors, the authors caution. And no information was available on the dose or formulation of fish oil supplements. Since most participants were white, the results may not apply to people of other ethnicities, they add.
Tracy Parker, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This research should not worry people who regularly take fish oil supplements, but it is also not a green light to start taking them to prevent heart and circulatory diseases.
“In the UK, the Nice guidelines do not recommend taking fish oil supplements to prevent heart and circulatory diseases or to stop another heart attack. Supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids are not a substitute for a healthy diet, and instead of focusing on individual nutrients, it’s important to look at your diet as a whole to reduce your risks.
“The traditional Mediterranean diet has been repeatedly shown to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. This includes more fish – white and fatty – and less red meat, as well as plenty of fruits and vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
News Source : www.theguardian.com
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