Fish oil supplements may increase someone’s risk of developing heart disease or stroke, but may reduce the risk for those who already have cardiovascular disease, according to research.
Fish oil is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. The NHS recommends at least one portion of oily fish a week to help prevent the development of cardiovascular disease.
To find out how much protection it offers, 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 assess the links between 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 evaluated whether these supplements affected the progression of heart disease.
Published in the journal BMJ Medicine, the study found that for those without known cardiovascular disease at the start of the monitoring period, regular use of fish oil supplements was associated with a 13% increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation and a risk of added 5%. having a stroke.
But for patients with heart disease at the start of the study period, fish oil supplements were associated with a 15% lower risk of progressing from atrial fibrillation to a heart attack and a 9% lower risk of passed from heart failure to death.
The benefits and risks of omega-3 supplementation were not uniformly observed, the study noted. The risk of healthy patients having a heart attack, stroke or heart failure was 6% higher in women and 6% higher in non-smokers.
There was also a larger positive effect for older people and men with existing heart disease, where the risk of transitioning from good health to death was 11% and 7% lower, respectively.
This was an observational study, so no conclusions can be drawn about causal factors, the authors caution. And there was no information available on either the dosage or formulation of fish oil supplements. Given that most of the participants were white, the findings may not be applicable to people of other ethnicities, they add.
Tracy Parker, a senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: This research should not be of concern to people who regularly take fish oil supplements, but it is also not a green light to start taking them to prevent disease. heart and blood circulation.
In the UK, the Nice guidelines do not recommend taking fish oil supplements either to prevent heart and circulatory disease or to stop another heart attack. Supplements like omega-3 fatty acids are no substitute for a healthy diet and, rather than focusing on individual nutrients, it’s important to look at your diet as a whole to help reduce your risk.
The traditional Mediterranean diet has been shown time and time again to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. This includes more white and oily fish and less red meat, along with plenty of fruits and vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
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