Purpose

Mission Statement

Monday, April 2, 2012

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Heart Health

Omega-3 reduces risk of death from cardiovascular causes by between 30 to 50% following a myocardial infarction
 
Lancet. 1999 Aug 7;354(9177):447-55.

From October, 1993, to September, 1995, 11,324 patients surviving recent (< or = 3 months) myocardial infarction were randomly assigned supplements of n-3 PUFA (1 g daily, n=2836), vitamin E (300 mg daily, n=2830), both (n=2830), or none (control, n=2828) for 3.5 years.

The Italian GISSI study says taking just 850 mg of EPA DHA Omega-3 per day showed a dramatic reduction of sudden death.

This risk reduction isn’t from cholesterol reduction.

The risk reduction comes from:
  • reduction in triglycerides
  • reduction in inflammation
  • providing antiarrhythmic properties
  • improved endothelial function
Follow up Report

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Heart Failure
Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2009 Nov;11(6):440-7.

Abstract
During the past three decades, the protective role of omega (n)-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), mainly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in patients with coronary heart disease has been widely reported. The Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto Miocardico-Heart Failure (GISSI-HF) study, a large-scale clinical trial, recently showed that n-3 PUFA (850-882 mg/d) reduced mortality and admission to the hospital for cardiovascular reasons in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) who were already receiving recommended therapies. The favorable effects of n-3 PUFA in GISSI-HF suggest that marine fish oils could confer protection in HF mainly through their antiarrhythmic action and in part by influencing the mechanisms related to HF progression. This article reviews recent clinical and experimental evidence on the effect of n-3 PUFA in coronary heart disease, with particular attention on HF and its pathophysiologic mechanisms.

Don

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