Higher Omega-3 Levels Associated with Improved Cardiovascular Outcomes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Higher omega-3 levels significantly reduce the risk of heart failure and heart failure fatalities, according to a new observational study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Researchers analyzed data from more than a quarter million adults in the United Kingdom Biobank to investigate the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and the risk of congestive heart failure.
People with the highest plasma omega-3 fatty acid levels (top 20%) were 21% less likely to develop heart failure over more than 13 years of follow up, compared to people with the lowest levels (bottom 20%).
“Our new study provides powerful evidence that omega-3 fatty acids are protective against the development of heart failure, which is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in the United States today,” said James O’Keefe, MD, a co-investigator of this study, and director of preventive cardiology at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute.
A recent meta-analysis of approximately 30,000 patients with coronary heart disease reported that taking omega-3 reduced risk of all-cause mortality by 10%, cardiovascular mortality by 18%, myocardial infarction by 23%, sudden cardiac death by 33%, and hospitalization for heart failure or unstable angina by 25%.
Researchers say that these findings are powerful evidence—not proof, as the study was observational and not a randomized controlled trial—that maintaining a high omega-3 level is heart healthy. A diet that includes oily fish such as salmon and sardines, as well as omega-3 supplements, drive those higher levels.
“The data from our new study is supported by a large randomized placebo-controlled trial called the GISSI-HF, which showed that taking 850 mg daily of omega-3 reduced heart failure hospitalization and mortality during long-term follow-up,” Dr. O’Keefe said. “This is a simple nutrient that may be helpful in treating and preventing one of our major health challenges.”
Read the full article, Association of Plasma Omega-3 Levels With Incident Heart Failure and Related Mortalities, in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
