by Complementary Perscriptions staff
Researchers have found that daily supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids may improve survival rates and reduce admissions to the hospital in chronic heart failure patients.
Past studies have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids can play a role in heart health and that they can reduce arrhythmias. However, no large-scale trials have investigated the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids in heart failure. Therefore, researchers investigated whether omega-3 fatty acids could improve morbidity and mortality in a large population of patients with symptomatic heart failure of any cause.
In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, researchers assigned 3,494 patients with chronic heart failure of New York Heart Association class II–IV to receive 1 gram daily of omega-3 fatty acids. Another group of 3,481 subjects received a placebo. Patients were followed up for a median of 3.9 years.
During the study, 955 (27 percent) patients died from any cause in the omega-3 group and 1,014 (29 percent) in the placebo group. In the omega-3 group, 1,981 (57 percent) patients died or were admitted to a hospital for cardiovascular reasons compared to 2,053 (59 percent) in the placebo group. In heart failure patients assigned to receive omega-3s, this amounted to a 9 percent relative reduction in mortality rates, and an 8 percent relative reduction in hospital admissions for cardiovascular reasons compared to subjects taking the placebo.
The researchers concluded, “A simple and safe treatment with n-3 PUFA [omega-3 fatty acids] can provide a small beneficial advantage in terms of mortality and admission to a hospital for cardiovascular reasons in patients with heart failure.”
Reference:
Authors listed as GISSI-HF investigators. 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. Published online ahead of print. August 31, 2008.
