Women: 25% Less Chance of Heart Failure With Omega 3 Supplements
The risk of heart failure in women can be reduced by 25% by increasing the consumption of fish rich in Omega-3. This was demonstrated by a group of researchers in a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. According to the researchers, led by Emily Levitan from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (United States), the health benefits come from the Omega-3s contained in fatty fish.
Fatty acids for the cardiovascular system
Omega-3s are valuable allies for the heart and blood vessels. Several studies have shown their effectiveness in reducing some cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood triglyceride levels, clot formation, and elevated blood pressure values.
This study focused on heart failure, a disorder that occurs when the heart is no longer able to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. The resulting symptoms (fatigue, weakness, difficulty walking, irregular heartbeat, and persistent coughing or wheezing) are the most frequent cause of hospitalization in people over 65 years old.
The study participants
The research was based on the analysis of data relating to 36,234 women aged between 48 and 83 involved in a study started in 1998 and concluded in 2006. At the start of this study, none of the participants had ever suffered from heart failure, heart attack, or diabetes.
Information on the participants’ diet was collected using a questionnaire consisting of 96 questions. Over the 18 years of data collection, 651 cases of heart failure were recorded.
Omega-3 friends of the female heart
Levitan and colleagues found that women who ate one serving of fatty fish per week had a 20% lower risk of heart failure compared to women who never ate it. The observed reduction was even greater, 30%, in women who chose to eat this type of fish 2 days out of 7.
A clear correlation also emerged between the amount of marine-origin Omega-3 consumed and the reduction in heart failure risk: among women who consumed more, a 25% lower rate of heart failure was observed compared to those who consumed less.
Based on these results, the researchers concluded that in these women a moderate consumption of fatty fish and marine Omega-3 correlates with a lower frequency of hospitalizations or deaths due to heart failure.
Benefits also for men
The results collected in this study add to those obtained by the same authors in a previous research published in the European Heart Journal. On that occasion, Levitan’s group had shown that moderate consumption of marine Omega-3 reduces the risk of cardiac arrest in men by 33%.
Sources
1. Levitan EB, Wolk A, Mittleman MA, “Fatty fish, marine omega-3 fatty acids and incidence of heart failure”, Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jun;64(6):587-94. Epub 2010 Mar 24
2. Levitan EB, Wolk A, Mittleman MA, “Fish consumption, marine omega-3 fatty acids, and incidence of heart failure: a population-based prospective study of middle-aged and elderly men”, Eur Heart J. 2009 Jun;30(12):1495-500. Epub 2009 Apr 21
