Omega-3 fatty acids are well known for their beneficial effects on heart health, and recently they have been in the news again for just this reason. A recent study by a group of Italian researchers has shown that daily supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (DHA and EPA) may reduce mortality and the frequency of hospital admission in patients with heart failure. While the effectiveness of Omega-3’s in preventing and treating cardiac problems has been demonstrated before, this new study is the first to assess the beneficial effects of omega-3 supplementation in a large population.
The study involved 326 cardiology and 31 internal medicine centres in Italy, and included 6975 patients with heart failure of any cause. Of these patients, 3494 were given a 1g dose of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) daily, and the remaining 3481 patients were given a placebo. Over the course of the following 3.0-4.5 years the rate of mortality and admission to the hospital for cardiac reasons were monitored. Overall, 955 deaths from all causes were documented in the group receiving omega-3, while there were 1014 deaths in the placebo group. Furthermore, 57% of people in the omega-3 group were admitted to hospital for cardiovascular reasons, as compared to 59% in the placebo group. This equates to a 9% relative reduction in the risk of mortality by all causes and an 8% relative reduction in the incidence of hospitalization due to cardiac problems in the omega-3 group. The study concluded that long-term treatment with omega-3 fatty acids is safe and effective for patients with heart failure, providing them with a beneficial advantage over patients not taking omega-3 fatty acids.
The results of this study also suggest that long term supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids may be more effective at preventing mortality and hospitalization for cardiovascular reasons in patients with heart failure than the prescription drug rosuvastatin. Patients treated with 10mg of rosuvastatin daily for 3.9 years did not show significantly different mortality rates or rates of hospitalization than patients receiving a placebo. Furthermore, rosuvastatin was more likely to have adverse side-effects, like gastrointestinal problems, than omega-3 fatty acids.
The mechanisms by which omega-3 fatty acids help to improve heart health have been shown to include favourable action against inflammation, platelet aggregation, blood pressure, heart rate and ventricular function. Omega-3 fatty acids may also help to prevent mortality and hospitalization through their anti-arrhythmic activity. It is likely that supplementation with omega-3’s results in their incorporation into cell and tissue membranes, producing a reduction in electrical excitability and thereby decreasing the probability of fatal and non-fatal arrhythmic events. All in all the results of this study help to emphasize the importance of omega-3 fatty acids in the maintenance of a healthy heart.
GISSI-HF Investigators. Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with chronic heart failure (the GISSI-HF trial): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet: published online August 31, 2008.
GISSI-HF Investigators. Effect of rosuvastatin in patients with chronic heart failure (the GISSI-HF trial): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet: published online August 31, 2008.
For more information see Omega Cardio or Omega EPA
|
