About 20 million people in the US take omega-3 supplements, mostly with the goal of preventing heart attacks and strokes.
Do you take fish oil or another omega-3 supplement if so you are not alone about 20 million people in the us take a biga 3 supplements mostly with the goal of preventing heart attacks and strokes the question is are they wasting their money or getting essential health benefits the answer may depend on which type of omega-3 they are taken our fish oil supplements good
For your heart the story of fish oil in heart health started with the observation that some populations like the inuit ate a lot of fatty fish yet had low rates of heart attack and stroke a large italian study published over 20 years ago showed that heart attack survivors who took omega-3 or fish oil supplements had a reduction in death heart attack and stroke this
Led to the american heart association recommending fish oil supplements to patients with heart disease however several subsequent more rigorous studies such as the vital study failed to show a heart benefit from fish oil supplements because of the conflicting study results cardiologists were split into two camps while there was a general consensus that high-dose
Which is 3 to 4 grams per day of omega-3 was helpful in selected patients to lower triglycerides when it came to prevention some cardiologists still advocated for omega-3 supplements and high risk patients and some did not then came the study that changed everything the reduce it trial studied high dose pure epa that’s a type of omega-3 called a casa pentothal
In people with either established heart disease or at risk who had elevated triglycerides and we’re taking a statin medication and the results were remarkable those who were taken the omega-3 supplement had a 25% reduction in heart disease and stroke and a 20% reduction in death from heart disease the big question from the study is why did this study have such a
Positive outcome when previous these were either negative or weakly positive possible reasons include the higher dose used for grams per day or that the omega-3 was pure epa and not the usual mix of epa and dha in most omega-3 supplements the truth is we don’t know why reduce it was such a positive study yet multiple national and international medical societies
Now recommend a cos offense apple in high-risk patients with elevated triglycerides who are taking a statin so the question is should you take omega-3 supplements and the answer depends on who you ask here is what i tell my patients about omega-3 supplements number one if there is a benefit to low dose one gram per day fish oil supplements it is likely small
Probably it’s better to get omega-3 by eating fatty fish such as sardines herring albacore tuna and salmon among others the american heart association recommends fish particularly fatty fish at least twice a week number two high dose meaning 4 grams per day of omega-3 can be effective in lowering high triglyceride levels number 3 if you do decide to take an omega-3
Supplement find a high-quality one manufactured from a reputable company number 4 i casa fennel is reasonable for those at high risk for heart disease who have elevated triglyceride levels and are taking a statin however i’m still reluctant to make a strong recommendation based on a single study especially when that study is not consistent with other similar studies
And then number 5 be aware that there may be risk to omega-3 supplements as well there is a small increase in bleeding which is why i generally don’t recommend omega-3 for my patients on strong blood thinner medication and an increase in afib was seen in the reducer trial the story of omega-3 and heart health is a complex one and it is not complete talk to your
Doctor to see if omega-3 supplements are right for you and stay tuned because more information
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Are Fish Oil or Omega 3 Supplements a Waste of Money? By MD Team Courses
