Recent reports published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on August 11, 2009 add to the increasing evidence that omega –3-fatty acids from fish or fish oil supplements not only help prevent cardiovascular disease in healthy individuals, but decrease the number of deaths and cardiovascular events such as chest pain, angioplasties, surgical bypass and heart attacks experienced by patients with existing heart disease.

“This isn’t just hype; we now have tremendous and compelling evidence from very large studies, some dating back 20-30 years, that demonstrate the protective benefits of omega-3 fish oil in multiple aspects of preventive cardiology,” says Dr. Carl Lavie, MD, FACC, medical director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, who has just completed an extensive analysis of studies involving tens of thousands of heart patients.

Medical professionals have known for years that certain populations around the world do not have heart attacks or cardiovascular disease. In rural China and among the Papua Highlanders of New Guinea, cardiovascular disease is rare or non-existent. Eskimos of Alaska who follow their native diet do not experience heart disease, but when they adopt a Western diet have the same incidence of heart disease as other Americans. The Eskimo Factor, a native diet of fish containing large amounts of omega-3-fatty acids, is believed by scientists to protect native Eskimos against the development of cardiovascular disease.

Fish oil not only plays a protective role against developing cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death, heart attack and heart failure but the benefits appear to be even more pronounced in patients with an existing heart condition. Dr. Lavie explains, “The strongest evidence of a cardioprotective effect of omega-3 appears in patients with established cardiovascular disease and following a heart attack with up to a 30% reduction in CV-related deaths.”

Whether you have heart disease or want to protect yourself against the possibility of developing heart disease, there is clear evidence that omega-3-fatty acids can offer significant benefits to the user.

The benefits from omega-3-fatty acids are thought to occur due to its potent anti-inflammatory effects. Key to the development of atherosclerotic plaque formation in blood vessels is the presence of inflammation within the vessel walls. Components of the omega-3s work their way into the cell membranes of vessel walls to improve vascular tone, the heart’s electrical activity, and plaque stabilization by decreasing the inflammatory response.

“There are clear health and heart benefits associated with increasing one’s intake of foods that are rich in omega-3s including oily fish like salmon, sardines, trout, herring and oysters,” said Dr Lavie. “Patients should talk with their doctor about whether a fish oil supplement is needed to get the right amount and, in turn, benefit from the associated cardiovascular protection.”

The authors recommend 500 mg of omega-3 fish oil containing EPA and DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) for individuals without heart disease and 800 to 1,000 mg for those with heart disease.

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