Omega-3 for a Healthy Heart – On Again

A few months ago the news was all about how omega-3 supplements didn’t lower mortality rates in people with coronary artery disease. So far there haven’t been any good studies on their use in people without coronary artery disease. That has changed with a report from the American College of Cardiology meeting. Scientists from the Kansas Medical Center followed 27,000 patients taking omega-3 (fish oil) supplements for 7 years, and compared the death rates with those in 3100 patients who had not been taking omega-3.

There were 115 deaths in the fish oil supplements patients, compared with 3120 deaths in those not taking fish oil. That’s 4% on the supplements vs. 11% not on supplements. And in those without coronary artery disease the relationship was about the same – 17% of those taking fish oil supplements died compared with 30% who were not.

Let’s hope you didn’t throw your omega-3 fish oil pills away after the last report. If you did, just eat more fish, says the American Heart Association.