Another Disappointing Study For Fish Oil Supplements

Forbes ^ | 5/08/2013 | Larry Husten

[neverdem]

Another large study has failed to find any benefits for fish oil supplements. The Italian Risk and Prevention Study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, enrolled 12,513 people who had not had a myocardial infarction but had evidence of atherosclerosis or had multiple cardiovascular risk factors. The patients were randomized to either a fish oil supplement (1 gram daily of n-3 fatty acids) or placebo.

After 5 years of followup, the primary endpoint– the time to death from cardiovascular causes or admission to the hospital for cardiovascular causes– had occurred in 11.7% of the fish oil group versus 11.9% of the placebo group (adjusted hazard ratio 0.97, CI 0.88-1.08, p=0.58). There were no significant differences in any of the prespecified secondary endpoints.

With one exception there were no significant differences in outcome in the prespecfied subgroups. Women who received fish oil supplements had a significant reduction in the primary endpoint (HR 0.82, CI 0.67-0.99, p=0.04). The study investigators also reported that although there was no difference in the rate of hospital admissions for cardiovascular admissions, there was a significant reduction in hospital admissions for heart failure in the fish oil group (1.5% versus 2.3%, p=0.002).

Due to a lower than expected rate of events, after the first year the investigators modified the primary endpoint, which originally had been the cumulative rate of death, MI, and nonfatal stroke.

The investigators wrote that “the consistently null effect across the various end points and subgroups does not suggests alternative interpretations.” The observed benefits in women and in reducing hospital admissions for heart failure “must be considered conservatively,” they wrote.

The trial investigators discussed two previous Italian trials, the GISSI-Prevenzione trial, in MI patients, and the GISSI-HF trial, in heart failure patients, which found benefits for fish oil supplements in their respective...

[muawiyah]

hmm ~ olive oil ~ I really can't imagine a researcher that ignorant of olive oil that he'd try an omega-3 test up against it. were they expecting a difference?

Now, how to fry fish in olive oil ~ first, catch a fish!

[muawiyah]

This study was done in Italy on Italians who consume vast quantities of olive oil every day ~ the place is drenched in olive oil.

3 g? I use more than that to fry an egg!

The test was literally DROWNED OUT!

[VideoDoctor]

it has so many other benefits.

I can attest to that. I'll keep quiet and just keep taking my fish oil. I DO NOT need to convince anyone else to benefit myself.

[kruss3]

these are much the same folks who survived the viking mini-ice age extinction period(without even having the benefit of metal tools).

[imardmd1]

They are tuff.

[fanfan]

Is n-3 the same as Omega-3?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3017628/posts

[neverdem]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22760980

yes

[Sun]

Thanx for Post #49.

I have to laugh when I see that the placebo is OLIVE OIL (which you bolded).

When I came down with a disability, more than 10 years ago, my HDL went from 45 down to only 35, because I did practically no exercise, and spent so much time in bed.

Then I heard about olive oil raising the HDL, and after taking maybe 1 - 2 T. a day, my HDL increased to about 60. My doctor said that was very impressive.

[Coleus]

sorry, but I think this is a bunch of bull.... there are many other studies out there, EPA and DHA should be a staple item for life, from infancy to your senior years.