On Aug. 29, the New England Journal of Medicine published an electronic article stating that giving supplements of EPA and DHA to people with a prior heart attack had no benefits on preventing future cardiovascular events (1). Of course, this article states the reason is that current drugs the patients are receiving are so good that adding extra high purity omega-3 oil is worthless, which of course made the national press. It sounded pretty fishy to me. First of all, this study was actually much smaller than the previously published studies (2,3) that had demonstrated striking benefits of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiovascular outcomes. The GISSI study demonstrated a 20-percent reduction in heart attacks and a 45 percent reduction in sudden cardiac death (2). The even larger JELIS study demonstrated a 20 percent reduction in cardiovascular events, and all the patients were taking statins.
Nothing contained in this blog is intended to be instructional for medial diagnosis or treatment. If you have a medical concern or issue, please consult your personal physician immediately.
