The debate on fish oil supplements continues. A new scientific advisory from the American Heart Association states that although fish oil is not indicated for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, it's reasonable to consider taking fish oil 1 gram daily for secondary prevention.
Most recent clinical trials show no benefit, but patients in the newer trials were more likely to be on statins and other medications that lower cardiovascular risk. In these patients, adding fish oil does not seem to further lower the cardiovascular risk. Overall, the American Heart Association concluded that the benefit of using fish oil outweighs the potential risk. They state that fish oil supplements might slightly decrease cardiovascular events in patients with a previous heart attack and modestly reduce death and hospitalizations in certain heart failure patients.
Advise patients to follow a heart-healthy diet eating at least 2 servings of fatty fish per week. For those who don’t like or won’t eat fish, a fish oil supplement might be appropriate. However, for patients already well-treated with conventional medications such as a statin, there may be little or no benefit to adding a fish oil supplement.
Check out our recently updated fish oil monograph for more details. Also review our list of USP Verified Commercial Products containing fish oil, including NMBER ratings on each.
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