Does taking Omega-3 pills protect heart and artery health? A large long-term study published in the open access journal ‘Bmj Medicine’ raises doubts, or rather makes a distinction: “Regular use of fish oil supplements could increase, rather than decrease, the risk of heart disease and stroke among those who enjoy good cardiovascular health, but it could slow the progression of existing cardiovascular problems and reduce the risk of death” in those who suffer from it, summarize the authors who highlight the need for further research to clarify these results. At the moment, they point out, it is not possible to draw conclusions on the cause-effect relationships between the observations collected.
The study and the hypotheses
“Fish oil is a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids and, as such, is recommended as a preventative dietary tool for prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases“. However, “the evidence on what protection it offers is inconclusive”, the researchers state.
For this reason, scientists, Hualiang Lin of the Department of Epidemiology of the Sun Yat-Sen University of Guangzhou (Guangdong, China) and colleagues, decided to “estimate the associations between fish oil supplements and new cases of atrial fibrillation, heart attack, stroke and heart failure, and death from any cause in people without known cardiovascular disease.” They also evaluated “the potential role of these supplements on the risk of progressing from good heart health to atrial fibrillation, to major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, to death.”
The work, also supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, involved 415,737 participants in the UK Biobank study, 55% women and from 40 to 69 years of age. Through interviews conducted between 2006 and 2010, basic information was collected including consumption of fatty or non-fatty fish and fish oil supplements. The health conditions of the sample were monitored until the end of March 2021, for an average period of almost 12 years, using data from the participants’ medical records. Nearly a third (130,365, 31.5%) said they regularly use fish oil supplements. Within this group, the researchers report “higher percentages of older adults, whites, and women. Alcohol consumption and the ratio of fatty to non-fatty fish consumed were also higher, while the shares of current smokers and people residents in disadvantaged areas”.
The effects of Omega 3 in the study
During the observation period – emerges from the study – 18,367 participants developed atrial fibrillation, 22,636 had a heart attack/stroke or developed heart failure and 22,140 died, 14,902 without atrial fibrillation or serious cardiovascular disease. Among those who transitioned from good cardiovascular health to atrial fibrillation, 3,085 developed heart failure, 1,180 had a stroke and 1,415 had a heart attack. Among people with heart failure, 2,436 died, as did 2,088 of those who had had a stroke and 2,098 of those who suffered a heart attack.
“The regular use of fish oil supplements – the scientists analyze – had different roles” in relation to “cardiovascular health, disease progression and death. For those who had no known cardiovascular pathologies at the beginning of the monitoring period, Regular use of fish oil supplements was associated with a +13% risk of developing atrial fibrillation and a +5% risk of stroke. But among those with cardiovascular disease at the start of the monitoring period, regular use of fish oil supplements was associated with a -15% risk of progressing from atrial fibrillation to heart attack and a -9% risk of progressing from atrial fibrillation to heart attack. from heart failure to death.”
“Further in-depth analyzes – the authors continue – showed that age, sex, smoking, consumption of non-fatty fish, hypertension, use of statins and drugs against high blood pressure modified the observed associations”. For example, “regular use of fish oil supplements and the risk of going from good health to heart attack, stroke, or heart failure were 6% higher in women and nonsmokers.” While “the protective effect of these supplements on the transition from a state of good health to death was greater in men (risk reduced by 7%) and in older adults (risk reduced by 11%)”.
The conclusions of the scientists
“Since this is an observational study – the researchers comment – it is not possible to draw conclusions on the causal factors. Furthermore, no information was available either on the dose or on the formulation of the fish oil supplements” consumed, “potentially influential” factors, i.e. capable of influencing the outcome of the analysis. Finally, “given that the majority of participants were white, the results may not be applicable to people of other ethnicities.”
“The regular use of fish oil supplements – conclude the scientists – could have different roles in the progression of cardiovascular diseases. Further studies are needed to determine the precise mechanisms for the development and prognosis of cardiovascular events with the regular use of fish oil supplements”.
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