Fish Oil Supplementation Associated With Decreased Risk of Cardiovascular Events

Fish oil is the fat or oil that is extracted from fish tissue. Approximately 30% of fish oil is composed of omega-3’s, while the remaining 70% is composed of fats. A new study suggests that fish oil supplementation may help lower the risk of cardiovascular events and cardiovascular mortality.

Participants in the study included 427,678 people with an average age of 50 who were enrolled in the UK Biobank Study. None had cardiovascular disease or cancer at the beginning of the study. The participants answered questions regarding their use of fish oil supplements. They were followed for an average of 8 years, and all cardiovascular events and mortality were recorded.

Approximately 30% of the participants reported taking fish oil supplements on a regular basis. Fish oil supplementation was associated with a 7% decreased risk of cardiovascular events and a 16% decreased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. For cardiovascular events, the association was strongest in participants with hypertension. Fish oil supplementation was also associated with a 13% decreased risk of all-cause mortality.

The study was conducted by researchers from Brown University, Duke University, and Southern Medical University, Guangzhou. It was published on March 4, 2020 in the journal BMJ.