10-24-2020, 09:38 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-24-2020, 09:39 AM by superadmin.)
Some 10% of American adults regularly take an omega-3 supplement, despite uncertainty about whether these products truly live up to their health claims. But two new studies published in November 2018 shed some light on who might benefit from omega-3 supplements — and who probably won't.
VITAL
The first study was the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL), a large multiyear study with 25,871 healthy adults with no history of cardiovascular (heart or blood vessel–related) disease and at "usual risk" for it. The group was racially diverse and chosen to be representative of the general population, says the study's lead author Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, professor of medicine and the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women's Health at Harvard Medical School.
Researchers tested, among other things, whether a moderate dosage (1 gram a day) of an omega-3 supplement could help prevent major cardiovascular events, compared with a placebo. Cardiovascular events included not only heart attacks, but stroke, and angioplasty procedures to clear blocked arteries.
"The findings are somewhat complex and nuanced. It's not a simple yes, or no, or one-size-fits-all answer. Some groups tended to benefit, while other groups didn't," says Dr. Manson.
Although a daily 1-gram omega-3 supplement did not significantly reduce major cardiovascular events over all, there was a 28% reduction in heart attacks and promising signals for other heart-related endpoints, she says. While the supplement didn't seem to protect most healthy people against future heart problems, certain groups did appear to benefit, particularly people who ate less than 1.5 servings of fish a week or didn't eat fish at all. "For these people, there was a significant 19% reduction in the primary endpoint of major cardiovascular events, with a 40% reduction in heart attacks," says Dr. Manson.
The supplements also appeared to benefit African American participants, who saw a 77% reduction in heart attack for those receiving the omega-3 supplement, compared with those taking the placebo, says Dr. Manson. It's unclear why this group benefited more, and additional studies are needed to confirm the finding.
REDUCE-IT
The second study, called the Reduction of Cardiovascular Events with EPA–Intervention Trial (REDUCE-IT), included more than 8,000 middle-aged and older adults who had elevated triglyceride levels and who had already experienced a cardiovascular event or had other significant risk factors for one. It aimed to find out if a daily high-dose, 4-gram prescription omega-3 medication could protect participants against future cardiovascular events, compared with a placebo. This trial, led by Dr. Deepak Bhatt, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, found a substantial 25% reduction in the risk of dying from heart disease or suffering a cardiovascular event among people who took the medication, compared with those who had the placebo.
High doses of omega-3 supplements, like the high-dose omega-3 product used in this trial, aren't appropriate for everyone because they pose risks, such as bleeding or an increase in a type of abnormal heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation, says Dr. Manson. "However, while high doses are associated with some risk, overall benefits of the high-dose omega-3 product used in the trial appeared to outweigh the risks for people with high triglyceride levels and a history of, or at high risk of, cardiovascular disease," says Dr. Manson.
- Continue reading -
VITAL
The first study was the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL), a large multiyear study with 25,871 healthy adults with no history of cardiovascular (heart or blood vessel–related) disease and at "usual risk" for it. The group was racially diverse and chosen to be representative of the general population, says the study's lead author Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, professor of medicine and the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women's Health at Harvard Medical School.
Researchers tested, among other things, whether a moderate dosage (1 gram a day) of an omega-3 supplement could help prevent major cardiovascular events, compared with a placebo. Cardiovascular events included not only heart attacks, but stroke, and angioplasty procedures to clear blocked arteries.
"The findings are somewhat complex and nuanced. It's not a simple yes, or no, or one-size-fits-all answer. Some groups tended to benefit, while other groups didn't," says Dr. Manson.
Although a daily 1-gram omega-3 supplement did not significantly reduce major cardiovascular events over all, there was a 28% reduction in heart attacks and promising signals for other heart-related endpoints, she says. While the supplement didn't seem to protect most healthy people against future heart problems, certain groups did appear to benefit, particularly people who ate less than 1.5 servings of fish a week or didn't eat fish at all. "For these people, there was a significant 19% reduction in the primary endpoint of major cardiovascular events, with a 40% reduction in heart attacks," says Dr. Manson.
The supplements also appeared to benefit African American participants, who saw a 77% reduction in heart attack for those receiving the omega-3 supplement, compared with those taking the placebo, says Dr. Manson. It's unclear why this group benefited more, and additional studies are needed to confirm the finding.
REDUCE-IT
The second study, called the Reduction of Cardiovascular Events with EPA–Intervention Trial (REDUCE-IT), included more than 8,000 middle-aged and older adults who had elevated triglyceride levels and who had already experienced a cardiovascular event or had other significant risk factors for one. It aimed to find out if a daily high-dose, 4-gram prescription omega-3 medication could protect participants against future cardiovascular events, compared with a placebo. This trial, led by Dr. Deepak Bhatt, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, found a substantial 25% reduction in the risk of dying from heart disease or suffering a cardiovascular event among people who took the medication, compared with those who had the placebo.
High doses of omega-3 supplements, like the high-dose omega-3 product used in this trial, aren't appropriate for everyone because they pose risks, such as bleeding or an increase in a type of abnormal heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation, says Dr. Manson. "However, while high doses are associated with some risk, overall benefits of the high-dose omega-3 product used in the trial appeared to outweigh the risks for people with high triglyceride levels and a history of, or at high risk of, cardiovascular disease," says Dr. Manson.
- Continue reading -