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Heart Attack and
The Benefit of Fish Oil
The Benefit of Fish Oil is in The News
For the most part the media gravitates toward sensationalism. After all, that is what sells. And there is plenty of it to go around.
Yet in the midst of the headlines and the crime reports you can find stories which display sensations of another type. These are stories of the wonders science is discovering. And fortunately some of these discoveries benefit our health.
Here is one headline…
'Fish' Test for Heart Attack Risk
O.K. maybe it’s not up there with putting a man on the moon. On the other hand putting a man on the moon cannot help you predict your likelihood of experiencing a heart attack. The BBC tells us that one benefit of fish oil is that fish consumption can be an indicator of our likelihood of experiencing a heart attack.
Though it was the BBC that reported this story, it was US research that led to the conclusion. In particular it was Harvard research. The findings were presented to the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids congress in Brighton.
The bottom line of the research is that doctors can better predict which patients are likely to have a heart attack by testing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids that are in a person’s blood. That is because…
Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood are known to increase the risk of a fatal heart attack.
The BBC article went on to say…
If blood levels of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids form less than 4% of the fatty acids in red blood cells, risk of death from a heart attack is at its greatest compared with a level of 8% when risk is at its least.
So, according to this research, one benefit of fish oil is its ability to help predict one’s risk of heart attack.
Dr Ray Rice from the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids said:
This work opens up the possibility of a simple blood test to identify those people at high risk of death from a heart attack, and brings with it the relatively simple preventative solution of increasing omega-3 intake to prevent an attack.
You can read more on the benefit of fish oil to predict heart attack by clicking here.
Since we are on the topic of health stories reported by the BBC let’s look at another one entitled…
Oily Fish Prevents Heart Attacks
This report points to a similar benefit of fish oil in relation to heart attack. In particular it states that…
Doctors in the United States have found evidence to suggest that the omega-3 or n3 oils in this type of fish can stop dangerous irregular heart rhythms, which can trigger an attack.
The type of fish referenced in this statement is cold-water oily fish like…
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Herring
- Mackerel
The scientists conducting the research referenced the benefit of fish oil in an earlier study involving 2,033 men with heart disease. Each of these men was told to eat extra fat, fiber or fish. Two years after this study it was reported that…
… death rates among those who had been told to eat fish were 29% lower than the other.
Many doctors believe that at least half of all heart attack deaths are caused by irregular heart beats. It is further believed that the benefit of fish oil is its ability to prevent irregular heart beats, and therefore, heart attacks.
The whole story can be read by using this link.
More Omega-3 Research
There are other stories – or studies – that don’t make it into the media. But the results of these studies bring us to the same conclusion. That is… fish oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids help prevent fatal heart attacks.
One such study involved 94 men who had died of sudden cardiac death. Blood samples taken before they died were compared to blood samples from surviving men matched for age and smoking habits. The researchers found that…
… high levels of omega-3-fatty acids in the blood were associated with low risk of cardiac sudden death. Men with the highest blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids had an 80% lower risk of sudden cardiac death than men with the lowest blood levels.
The benefit of fish oil is further seen in The Nurses’ Health Study which began in 1976 involving more than 80,000 female nurses who completed questionnaires about life style and diet. This massive study spanned a 16 year period.
An article published in JAMA vol 287. No 14, p. 1815 reported on the results of this study. The title of the article is…
Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Women.
Compared to women who ate fish less than once per month…
- Women who ate fish once a week had a 29% lower risk of developing coronary heart disease.
- Women who ate fish five times a week had a 34% reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease and a 45% reduction in the risk of death from heart disease (usually sudden cardiac death).
The GISSI-Prevention Trial also demonstrates the benefit of fish oil. It involved more than 11,000 patients with recent heart attacks. These participants were randomly assigned to four treatment groups. These groups included people receiving…
- 850 mg of omega-3-fatty acids from supplements
- Vitamin E
- A combination of omega-3 and vitamin-E
- The control group received neither treatment
The participants given omega-3 fatty acids had a 20% lower death rate from coronary heart disease than subjects in the vitamin E and control groups.
In this study omega-3-fatty acids were particularly effective in preventing sudden cardiac death - 45% reduction. The scientists believed that the omega-3-fatty acids are effective in preventing ventricular fibrillation.
Indulge me for just on more study concerning the benefit of fish oil in relation to heart attack.
The Lyon Diet Heart Study involved 600 participants who had recently survived a heart attack. They were randomly assigned to one of two groups.
- The Mediterranean diet which is rich in omega-3-fatty acids, as well as monounsaturated fats, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
- A prudent Western diet which is low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
The study involved 4 years of follow-up. The results demonstrated that the participants eating the Mediterranean diet had more than 50% reduction in sudden cardiac death and in repeat fatal or nonfatal heart attacks.
That’s 50%.
To me that’s big news. It should be clear now that one huge benefit of fish oil is its ability to lower the risk of a fatal heart attack. Omega-3 fatty acids are a real heart health gift.
Eat lots of cold-water fatty fish. Take high quality fish oil supplements rich in DHA and EPA… with no fillers, no extra oils, and no poisonous metals. Know the science behind the supplements you take. Know something about the company that manufactures them. It’s your health.
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