Cardiac insufficiency: a new mission for omega-3!

In the past, omega-3 was mainly recommended for its cardiovascular applications in preventing sudden death.

The results of studies presented in MUNICH during the European Society of Cardiology, published in the highly prestigious medical journal 'The Lancet', demonstrate that a supplement of fish oil rich in omega-3 brings an improvement to patients suffering from cardiac insufficiency, while statins - medication widely prescribed to combat cholesterol - offer no benefits whatsoever.

A team of Italian researchers gave a daily dose of omega-3 derived from fish oil to nearly 3500 patients. A second group of equivalent size was given a placebo. All the patients were monitored over four years.

In the group taking fish oil, 1981 patients died from cardiac insufficiency or were admitted to the Casualty department because of this problem. This number was 2,053 in the placebo group, demonstrating a difference of 8% in favour of those who consumed fish oil.

In a parallel study, the same team of Italian doctors gave Crestor - a cholesterol-reducing drug - to 2285 patients, and a placebo to 2,298 others. These patients were also monitored for around four years.

Through a comparison of the results, the researchers concluded that fish oil is statistically more efficient than medication; the oil has a more efficient action than Crestor, in comparison with the placebo. During the study, omega-3 were well tolerated, and did not present any secondary effect or complication.

Cardiac insufficiency is an incapacity of the heart to provide the heart rate necessary for the body's needs under normal conditions.

Over the last few years, cardiac insufficiency has become a major public health problem in the developed world; there are at least 10 million patients in the European Union.  Mortality is around 50% within the four years following diagnosis, and the cost of health care is very high, with cardiac insufficiency being the second largest cause of hospitalisation.

The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids from fish such as salmon and tuna on the heart and the brain have been well documented, although the mechanisms of their action are not completely clear.

Faced with a lack of therapeutic solutions for cardiac insufficiency, omega-3 in the form of fish oil may prove to be a potential new treatment, which could result in a modification of the dietary recommendations made to patients.
 
Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with chronic heart failure (the GISSI-HF trial): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial The Lancet DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61239-8