A new review of the evidence to date confirms previous findings that increasing omega-3 intake in the diet may well be beneficial for the heart.
Current guidance from top heart institutions already supports dietary patterns that include fish and/or the omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
However, some mixed results have been reported. So Dr Dominik Alexander and colleagues at EpidStat Institute at Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, carried out a meta-analysis of studies on the topic.
They combined the findings from 18 randomised controlled trials and 16 prospective cohort studies. This showed that, among randomized controlled trials, there was a reduction in coronary heart disease risk with higher omega-3 intake. This was not quite statistically significant in healthy people, but brought a significant benefit for higher-risk populations, such as those with elevated triglyceride levels.
The prospective cohort studies indicated a statistically significant drop of 18% in the risk for any coronary heart diagnosis and higher omega-3 intake.
In Mayo Clinic Proceedings yesterday (3 January), the authors conclude: "Results indicate that EPA and DHA may be associated with reducing coronary heart disease risk, with a greater benefit observed among higher-risk populations in randomized controlled trials."
Dr Alexander added: "What makes this paper unique is that it looked at the effects of EPA and DHA on coronary heart disease specifically, which is an important nuance considering coronary heart disease accounts for half of all cardiovascular deaths in the US.
"The 6% reduced risk among randomised controlled trials, coupled with an 18% risk reduction in prospective cohort studies, which tend to include more real-life dietary scenarios over longer periods, tell a compelling story about the importance of EPA and DHA omega-3s for cardiovascular health."
Alexander, D. D. et al. A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Prospective Cohort Studies of Eicosapentaenoic and Docosahexaenoic Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Coronary Heart Disease Risk. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 3 January 2017; doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.10.018
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