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Marine Omega-3 Supplements May Lower CVD Risk

TUESDAY, Oct. 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Marine omega-3 supplementation seems to lower the risk for myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality, total CHD events, cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and total CVD events, according to a review published online Sept. 30 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Yang Hu, Sc.D., from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues conducted an updated meta-analysis using study-level data from 13 randomized, controlled trials, including three recent large trials, to examine the correlation between marine omega-3 supplementation and the risk for CVD. The dose-response relationship between marine omega-3 dosage and risk for myocardial infarction, CHD death, total CHD, total stroke, CVD death, total CVD, and major vascular events was examined.

The researchers found that marine omega-3 supplementation correlated with a significantly lower risk for myocardial infarction, CHD mortality, total CHD events, CVD mortality, and total CVD events in the analysis excluding the Reduction of Cardiovascular Events with Icosapent Ethyl-Intervention Trial (REDUCE-IT; rate ratios, 0.92, 0.92, 0.95, 0.93, and 0.97, respectively). For all outcomes, inverse associations were strengthened after including REDUCE-IT, although statistically significant heterogeneity was introduced. For total CVD and major vascular events, statistically significant linear dose-response relationships were found in the analyses with and without including REDUCE-IT.

"Additional large trials testing high doses of marine omega-3 supplementation are warranted to confirm and extend these findings," the authors write.

One author disclosed financial ties to the nutrition industry.

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