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(Reuters Health) – Omega-3 fatty acids have long been touted as good for heart health, but taking them as supplements barely protects against heart disease, suggests a new analysis.
The study combined data from 112,059 patients who participated in 79 smaller randomized trials. The researchers found that omega-3 supplementation had little or no effect on the risk of death, heart attack or stroke.
Omega-3 supplements, however, had some benefit in that they contributed to lowering triglyceride levels. But the other side of the coin was that they also reduced the levels of what is called the good cholesterol, HDL, according to the results published in the Cochrane Library newspaper.
The results were not particularly surprising for the team that conducted the analysis.
"When I look at our discoveries, what amazes me, is how long we have believed in the effect of omega 3. fatty acids on heart and vascular health." said senior author Lee Hooper, a dietician and researcher at the Norwich Medical School of the University of East Anglia in the UK.
"The tests are very consistent. The highest quality trials published over several decades consistently show that there is little or no effect on heart disease, stroke or arrhythmia, she said. declared.
Hooper and colleagues reviewed data from randomized controlled trials that followed patients from one to six years of age.
The analysis revealed an advantage of consuming canola oil and nuts, especially in the prevention of cardiac arrhythmias. But, Hooper said, the effects were weak. For example, 143 people would need to increase their consumption of canola oil to prevent a person from developing this heart disease, she said. And 1,000 people would need to increase their consumption of canola oil or nuts to prevent a person from dying from heart disease or having a stroke or heart attack .
Even though the data does not demonstrate benefit for omega-3 supplements in terms of heart attack and stroke prevention, Hooper is not ready to tell everyone to throw their pills.
This is because "omega-3 supplements reduce triglycerides, and if people have been given omega-3s – fish oil capsules – by their doctor, they should continue to take them, "she said. "For the rest of us, taking omega 3s will not protect our hearts.
Because the combined studies in the meta-analyzes tend to be heterogeneous, the results are not as strong as one large study would be, says Dr. Zhaoping Li, professor of medicine and director of the Human Nutrition Center at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, who did not participate in the study. Beyond that, Li said, the studies are relatively short and it would be difficult to see a difference in the end points such as heart attack, stroke and death. "I think the jury is still in terms of long-term benefits," said Li.
Also, "you can have people who consume very different diets in studies," Li noted. , and that 's important because supplements are more likely to have an impact in people who receive little omega – 3s.
In the end, the study "does not change my practice," said Li.
Dr. Michael Blaha, who also did not participate in the analysis, said that he was simply confirming his previous opinions on omega-3 supplements.
"I'm not too surprised by the results," said Blaha, director of clinical research at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for Heart Disease Prevention in Baltimore, Maryland. "We have seen a trend toward negative results in studies of these supplements.And overall, there are not many reasons to supplement a healthy diet with over-the-counter products." [19659002] It's not that omega-3s are not important, says Blaha. "But the public health recommendation should be to get them through food rather than food supplements," he said.
SOURCE: bit.ly/2LjmR9v The Cochrane Library, Online July 18, 2018.
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