Reevaluating Fish Oil Supplements

Fish oil supplements, praised for heart health, could paradoxically heighten heart disease and stroke risks.

Despite the known benefits of omega-3 in fish oil supplements for heart health, a recent study suggests regular intake might increase heart disease and stroke risks as per a study published in the open-access journal BMJ Medicine ().

For the study, an international team of researchers from China, the UK, and the US analyzed the health of 415,737 participants (55 percent women), aged 40-69, who regularly consumed oily and non-oily fish and fish oil supplements.

Fish Oil Benefits
Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are helpful to treat many health problems. Fish oil benefits eyes, bones, heart, brain, skin and hair.

‘Did You Know?
Approximately 19.8 million adults in the United States alone reported using fish oil supplements in 2012. #fishoil #omega3 #hearthealth #stroke’

The participants were surveyed between 2006 and 2010 and tracked until the end of March 2021 or death, whichever came first, based on medical records data.

Their results showed that regular use of fish oil supplements had different roles in cardiovascular health, disease progression, and death.

The Fish Oil Dilemma

People with no known heart problems who regularly used fish oil supplements had a 13 percent higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation, and a 5 percent risk of a stroke.

Vitamin D and Fish Oil Supplements Reduce Autoimmune Disease Risk
Omega-3 fatty acid supplements did significantly reduce autoimmune disease risk depending on the duration.

The risk of transitioning from good health to heart attack, stroke, or heart failure was 6 percent higher in women and 6 percent higher in non-smokers.

In contrast, among those with known cardiovascular disease, regular fish oil supplements lowered the risk of progression from atrial fibrillation to a heart attack by 15 percent, and from heart failure to death by 9 percent.

Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements Do Not Help Prevent Depression: Study
Fish oil supplements do not prevent depression and adults without depression need not take the supplements to prevent depression in the future.

Age, sex, smoking, consumption of non-oily fish, high blood pressure, and use of statins and blood pressure-lowering drugs were found to determine the associations observed.

Calling "this is an observational study, and no conclusions can be drawn about causal factors", the researchers stressed the need for further studies to determine the precise mechanisms.

Who Should Take Fish Oil?
Fish oil benefits only those who have the right genotype. A specific gene that can modify an individual’s response to fish oil supplementation has been identified, which can improve the individuals health and well-being.

Reference:

Regular use of fish oil supplements and course of cardiovascular diseases: prospective cohort study - (https://bmjmedicine.bmj.com/content/3/1/e000451)

Source-IANS