Omega-3 & Lower Mortality Rates

According research in Italy, a daily supplement of omega-3 may reduce mortality and hospital stay for patients with heart failure.1 In the Italian study, patients assigned to receive omega-3 instead of a placebo reduced the rate of mortality by 9%.

For this particular study, 6,975 participants with chronic heart failure were randomly assigned to receive either a daily omega-3 supplement or placebo for almost 4 years. Less patients in the omega-3 group were admitted to hospital for cardiovascular reasons than in the placebo group. At the end of the trial, 955 deaths from all causes were documented in the omega-3 group, while 1014 deaths were recorded in the placebo group. “Our study shows that the long-term administration of 1g per day omega-3 was effective in reducing both all-cause mortality and admissions to hospital for cardiovascular reasons,” concluded the researchers.*

Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to a wide-range of health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, good development of a baby during pregnancy, joint health, and improved behavior and mood.

*Fonarow, G.C., “Statins and n-3 fatty acid supplementation in heart failure.” The Lancet. Published online ahead of print, 31 August 2008, doi: 10.10116/S0140-6736(08) 61241-6.