Fish oil is good for hearts
September 18, 2012
THE overwhelming weight of
evidence supports the use of
omega-3 fatty acid supplements for
patients with heart disease,
according to the Australian Self
Medication Industry.
The comments come in response
to discussion over the effectiveness
of fish oil for the prevention of
heart attacks following the release
of a study which found that omega-
3 PUFA supplementation
was not associated with a lower
risk of all-cause mortality, cardiac
death, sudden death, myocardial
infarction, or stroke (PD 12 Sep).
According to ASMI Regulatory and
Scientific Affairs Director, Steven
Scarff, the meta-analysis study is at
odds with the large body of
evidence which demonstrates the
benefits of fish oil supplements in
providing primary and secondary
prevention in patients with CVD.
The study’s findings, according to
Scarff do not change the balance of
scientific evidence which
demonstrates a cardiovascular
benefit of omega-3 fatty acids in
healthy populations, as well as in
the majority of populations with
pre-existing cardiovascular ailments.
“Consumers should therefore
continue to take omega-3 products
for heart health,” said Scarff.
Meanwhile Scarff also said that
the study itself warranted
“careful consideration”, adding
that it was important to note that
the research only looked at people
who had already suffered heart
attacks or strokes, rather than the
general healthy population, and
it failed to take into account the effect
of cardiovascular disease drugs
consumed by subjects in the studies.
Scarff also noted that half of the
included trials in the analysis had
been conducted during the period
where statins were routinely
recommended for cardiovascular
risk modification, whilst earlier
studies looked at were carried out
in the pre-statin era.
“Subjects in the more recent
trials were also given multiple
prescription medicines (e.g.
cardiac glycosides, antiarrhythmics,
antihypertensives, hypolipidemics,
antianginals, anticoagulants, betablockers,
calcium channel blockers,
diuretics and/or vasodilators) as
well as Omega- 3s,” he said.
“This makes it very difficult for
researchers to work out what
benefits any individual substance,
whether fish oil or medication,
may have had,” he added.
Scarff contrasted the study with
what he called the “strong body of
evidence that supports fish oil”,
including a recent Deloitte study,
which identified savings of approx
$4.2b through avoidance of disease
burden if heart attack survivors
began taking fish oils.
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