Washington: Regular use of fish oil supplements may be associated with a lower risk of premature death and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, such as heart attack and stroke, a study unveiled on Thursday claims. Further studies should explore what dose is needed to achieve a clinically meaningful effect, noted the researchers, including those from Brown University in the US.
Some evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil may help prevent cardiovascular disease and reduce mortality, but conclusive evidence is still lacking, they said.
To explore these potential associations further, a team of researchers based in China and the US drew on data from the UK Biobank -- a large population based study of more than half a million British men and women.
The analysis, published in The BMJ, included 427,678 men and women aged between 40 and 69 years, without CVD or cancer. They were enrolled in the study from 2006 to 2010 and completed a questionnaire on supplement use, including fish oil.
Death certificates and hospital records were used to monitor deaths from any cause ("all-cause mortality"), CVD deaths, and CVD events, such as heart attack and stroke, through to 2018. Almost a third (31 per cent) of participants reported taking regular fish oil supplements at the start of the study.
The research found that fish oil supplements were associated with a 13 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality, a 16 per cent lower risk of CVD mortality, and a 7 per cent lower risk of CVD events. The association between fish oil use and CVD events appeared to be stronger among those with high blood pressure.
