Omega-3 supplements won't aid heart trouble

Taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements won't protect against repeat heart attacks, strokes or other cardiovascular problems, a new analysis indicates.

"I was not surprised at these findings because I assumed that there was no benefit of omega-3 supplements," said lead researcher Dr. Seung-Kwon Myung of the National Cancer Center, South Korea.

Instead of supplements, people trying to prevent heart disease or repeat problems should eat oily fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel, all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, Myung said. The study was published online yesterday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Many studies have demonstrated that eating fatty fish twice a week or more is linked with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. But those that looked at the potential benefits of fish oil supplements have produced mixed results.

Myung and his colleagues selected 14 studies in medical literature published between 1995 and 2010. Those studies looked at more than 20,000 patients with a history of cardiovascular disease.

The average age was 63, and nearly 80 percent were men. The daily dose of omega-3 fatty acid supplement ranged from about half a gram to nearly 5 grams a day. The follow-up period ranged from one year to nearly five years.

Myung's team looked to see whether the supplements made a difference in sudden cardiac death, heart attack, congestive heart failure, death from any cause, stroke or transient ischemic attacks (mini-strokes). The supplements did not reduce the risk of any of those problems.

The American Heart Association recommends that those without known heart disease eat a variety of fish, preferably oily fish, at least twice a week. It advises those with heart disease to eat about 1 gram a day of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.

In an editorial accompanying the study, Drs. Frank Hu and JoAnn Manson of the Harvard School of Public Health pointed out that a diet high in fatty fish could help people replace less healthy sources of protein, such as red meat.