Eating fish rich in omega-3 would lower the risk of cardiac death by 10%. However, these fatty acids do not reduce the risk of non-fatal heart attacks.
Salmon, sardines or anchovies, all these fish are extremely rich in omega-3. According to a study published in the journal JAMA internal medicine and made by a team from Tufts University (Boston), these fatty acids are associated with a 10% drop in cardiac mortality.
This meta-analysis was carried out within the framework of an international consortium on fatty acids. This work, led by Dariush Mozaffarian, analyzed 19 studies, including 45,637 participants in 16 countries. Of these, 7,973 had a single heart attack and 2,781 died. In addition, 7,157 people have had non-fatal heart attacks. American researchers studied blood samples from patients to observe the link between omega-3 and the onset of a heart attack. Participants in these studies also provided information on their consumption of fatty fish.
The same result according to age, sex and ethnicity
The results showed that omega-3 consumption was associated with a 10% decrease in cardiac mortality. The effect persists regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, presence of diabetes, use of aspirin or anti-cholesterol in participants.
However, scientists have not established the link between the concentration of biomarkers of these fatty acids found in the blood and the reduction in the risk of non-fatal infarction. This suggests that there would be more specific mechanisms between these molecules and a lower cardiac mortality. It should also be noted that fatty fish are not rich in omega-3. They contain a lot of vitamin D, selenium and other minerals that are beneficial for health.
A more complete vision of the benefits of omega-3s
“These new results, which include those of numerous studies, provide the most complete picture to date of the preventive effect of omega-3s against cardiovascular disease”, explains Liana Del Gobbo, co-author and researcher at the Faculty of medicine from Stanford University.
For Dariush Mozaffarian, the new global research consortium provides an unprecedented opportunity to understand how blood biomarkers of a large number of different fatty acids affect health.
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