If you take fish oil, your heart may be at risk, study finds

Dietary supplements are used by millions of people for their purported health benefits, making up a nearly $ 37 billion industry in the United States as of 2021. But a popular daily pill could create serious problems for people. who may not even be aware of the danger. Fish oil may increase the risk of heart disease in some, depending on their genetic makeup, according to a new study. Read on to see what that might mean for your daily dosages, and to find out more about which supplements to avoid, check out This is the vitamin you should never take, doctors say.

The discovery is the result of a recent study by a team of scientists at the University of Georgia, which set out to determine the effects of fish oil on heart health by examining four fats in the blood: cholesterol total, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein and triglycerides. To do this, the researchers used data from 70,000 patients from a large-scale UK Biobank cohort study, dividing the patients into two groups – around 11,000 patients in the group who took fish oil supplements by compared to those who did not take it – before leading a genome. -global analysis.

The results showed that after 64 million tests, “significant variation” existed in the GJB2 gene. For those with the AG genotype, taking fish oil lowered triglycerides, while patients with the AA genotype who took fish oil saw their triglyceride levels increase slightly.

Researchers say the findings raise questions about the traditional daily use of fish oils for some people, which have long been considered helpful in maintaining a healthy heart.

“We have known for a few decades that a higher level of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood is associated with a lower risk of heart disease.” Kaixiong Ye, PhD, the author of the study, said in a statement released by the University of Georgia. “What we found is that fish oil supplementation is not good for everyone; it depends on your genotype. If you have a specific genetic background, supplementing with fish oil will help lower your triglycerides. But if you don’t have the right genotype, taking a fish oil supplement actually raises your triglycerides. And for more important updates on the pills, check out the FDA just issued a new warning about these over-the-counter pain relievers.

But while the study found that some people would not find any health benefits from taking fish oil daily, the researchers point out that the results also shed new light on other previous studies that found that omega-3 fatty acids were ineffective in promoting heart health. “One possible explanation is that these clinical trials did not take into account the genotypes of the participants,” Ye said in a statement. “Some participants can benefit, some may not, so if you mix them up and do the analysis, you don’t see the impact.”

Fortunately, determining whether or not you have the right genetic makeup to benefit from a fish oil diet is not as difficult as it may seem. The study authors point out that results from readily available genome testing companies can already make the raw data available to clients they need, and that although the specific variant is not already included in most reports, you can search for the genotype with the variant. ID rs112803755 (A> G).

“Customizing and optimizing fish oil supplementation recommendations based on an individual’s unique genetic makeup can improve our understanding of nutrition and lead to significant improvements in human health and well-being,” Ye concluded. . And to learn more about other ways daily pills might affect your health, check out If You Can’t Sleep This Common Drug May Explain Why, Study Finds.