Do fish oil pills prevent heart attacks and cancer?
Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Prevention of Vascular Disease and Cancer
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Omega-3s reduced heart attacks by 28% but didn’t reduce overall cardiovascular events.
Most people assume reducing heart attacks would lower total cardiovascular events—but here, strokes and cardiovascular deaths didn’t budge, making the 28% drop feel isolated and puzzling.
Practical Takeaways
If you eat less than two servings of fatty fish per week, consider a daily 1g omega-3 supplement to reduce heart attack risk.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Omega-3s reduced heart attacks by 28% but didn’t reduce overall cardiovascular events.
Most people assume reducing heart attacks would lower total cardiovascular events—but here, strokes and cardiovascular deaths didn’t budge, making the 28% drop feel isolated and puzzling.
Practical Takeaways
If you eat less than two servings of fatty fish per week, consider a daily 1g omega-3 supplement to reduce heart attack risk.
Publication
Journal
The New England journal of medicine
Year
2018
Authors
J. Manson, N. Cook, I. Lee, W. Christen, S. Bassuk, S. Mora, H. Gibson, C. Albert, D. Gordon, T. Copeland, Denise D’Agostino, G. Friedenberg, Claire Ridge, V. Bubes, E. Giovannucci, W. Willett, J. Buring
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking a daily omega-3 supplement for about five years doesn't seem to lower the chance of getting invasive cancer in healthy people over 50.
Taking a daily omega-3 supplement for about five years doesn't seem to raise the risk of serious bleeding or other big health problems in healthy people over 50.
Taking a daily omega-3 supplement for about five years doesn't seem to lower the risk of heart attacks, strokes, or dying from heart disease in healthy people over 50.
Taking a daily omega-3 supplement for about five years may lower the chance of having a heart attack by nearly a third for people aged 50 and up who are otherwise healthy.
Taking fish oil supplements every day might lower your chances of having a heart attack, but it won't make a big difference in preventing other serious heart problems or getting cancer if you're a healthy older adult.