Coronary Diseases: Fish Oil Also Lowers Healthcare Costs

In terms of healthcare expenses, Omega-3 are a cost-effective alternative to exclusive drug use in the treatment of coronary diseases. This was demonstrated by an analysis conducted by Access Economics on behalf of the National Institute of Complementary Medicine at the University of Western Sydney (Australia).

Economic Benefits of Omega-3

Using fish oil rich in Omega-3 as a complementary treatment alongside drugs in patients with a history of coronary diseases allows for significant cost savings. This effect on healthcare spending is mainly due to two phenomena:

- reduction in deaths caused by coronary disorders;

- reduction in the incidence of such diseases.

The authors of the analysis commented that these results are consistent with findings from other international studies.

Not Only Omega-3

The Australian research firmly places Omega-3 among remedies belonging to complementary medicine that could play a key role not only in individual health but also in the health system. Alongside the economic benefits derived from using these fatty acids for treating cardiovascular diseases, the study also highlighted benefits from plant-based preparations. These include St. John's Wort, useful in cases of depression, and Phytodolor, a herb used against osteoarthritis. These complementary medicines could save the Australian health system more than 220 million dollars annually.

Hidden Advantages

Lynne Pezzullo, director of Access Economics, emphasized the difficulties encountered in trying to assess the economic benefits of complementary medicines. According to the expert, estimates of the benefits associated with the use of these remedies would be even higher if analyses considered the advantages of keeping citizens healthy, able to work, and out of already overcrowded hospitals. Alan Bensoussan, director of the National Institute of Complementary Medicine, concluded that the use of complementary medicines could make the high costs associated with maintaining good health more sustainable today. The expert points out that this goal could be achieved through better disease prevention and more efficient management of chronic conditions made possible by Omega-3 and other non-traditional remedies.  

Source 

1. Access Economics, “Cost effectiveness of complementary medicines”. http://www.nicm.edu.au/images/stories/research/docs/cost_effectiveness_cm_ae_2010.pdf