Omega 3 May Mean Better Survival Rates for Heart Patients

A new study has shown that a daily supplement of omega-3 fatty acids may
reduce mortality and admission to hospital for cardiovascular reasons in
patients with heart failure.

Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has been linked to a wide-range of
health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and
certain cancers, joint health, healthy pregnancy and improved behaviour
and mood.

So far, several studies have reported beneficial effects of omega-3
fatty acids on cardiovascular disease, but, until now, there have been
no large-scale trials investigating the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids
in patients with heart failure.

Italian researchers recruited 6975 patients with chronic heart failure
to take part in the Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza
nell'Infarto miocardico (GISSI), and randomly assigned them to receive
either a daily omega 3 supplement or placebo for 3.9 years.

At the end of the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial the
researchers commented, "Our study shows that the long-term
administration of 1g per day omega-3 PUFA was effective in reducing both
all-cause mortality and admissions to hospital for cardiovascular reasons".

Dr Gregg Fonarow from Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Centre, Los Angeles
said: "Although the improvements in clinical outcomes were modest, they
were additive to those of other therapies that are standard in care of
heart failure. The therapy was safe and very well tolerated".

Source:
The Lancet (published online ahead of print, 31 August 2008)
Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with chronic heart
failure (the GISSI-HF trial): a randomised, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial" GISSI-HF investigator
The Lancet (published online ahead of print, 31 August 2008)
Statins and n-3 fatty acid supplementation in heart failure. G.C. Fonarow