Recent research challenges the widely held belief that fish oil supplements are a benign boost to cardiovascular health. According to a new study published in BMJ Medicine, these supplements, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, could actually increase the risk of heart disease and stroke in the general population. However, the study also suggests that in people with pre-existing cardiovascular disease, fish oil may slow the progression of the disease.
“Regular use of fish oil supplements could be a risk factor for atrial fibrillation and stroke among the general population,” the researchers noted in their findings. He study analyzed data from 415,737 participants, drawn from the UK Biobank, a comprehensive database capturing information on diet, lifestyle and health. Participants surveyed between 2006 and 2010 provided baseline data, including their consumption of fatty and non-fatty fish and fish oil supplements.
Researchers followed participants until March 2021 or until their death, examining how fish oil consumption affected the progression from good heart health to serious cardiovascular outcomes such as atrial fibrillation, heart attacks, and ultimately death. Of the participants, 31.5 percent reported regular use of fish oil supplements, a group characterized by a higher proportion of older, white, and female people, the Mirror reports.
The findings revealed a nuanced impact of fish oil supplements on heart health. For participants without cardiovascular disease at the start of the study, regular fish oil supplementation was associated with a 13 percent increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation and a 5 percent increased risk of stroke. In contrast, for those already diagnosed with cardiovascular conditions, regular use was associated with a 15 percent reduction in the risk of progressing from atrial fibrillation to a heart attack and a 9 percent reduction in the risk of progressing from atrial fibrillation to heart attack. heart failure leading to death.
The study also took into account other risk factors such as age, sex, smoking, consumption of non-oily fish, high blood pressure, and use of statins and hypertension medications, all of which contributed to cardiovascular risk.
The authors of the study He cautioned that the observational nature of the research means no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. They also highlighted the lack of information on the dosage or types of fish oil supplements participants took.
Despite these limitations, the findings prompt a reevaluation of the role of fish oil supplements in cardiovascular health. “Regular use of fish oil supplements could have different roles in the progression of cardiovascular disease,” the researchers concluded, calling for further studies to elucidate the mechanisms behind these effects.
