LONDON (dpa-AFX) - According to research published in BMJ Medicine, fish oil supplements increase the risk of stroke and atrial fibrillation in healthy people.
The study involved data from over 415,000 men and women from the UK Biobank, most of whom consumed fish oil supplements regularly. The participants joined the study between 2006 and 2010 and were followed for a median of nearly 12 years or till their death.
Researchers noted a 13 percent increase in atrial fibrillation and a 5 percent increase in stroke risk in healthy people who consumed fish oil supplements regularly. In healthy women participants, the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure was 6 percent higher than those who did not take fish oil supplements.
On the other side, the result was better for people with heart problems. In such participants, researchers noted a decline of 15 percent in the progress of heart problems. For example, the chances of having heart failure after suffering from atrial fibrillation declined significantly.
Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of the division of preventive medicine at Harvard Medical School and physician at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, who co-led the trial, commented, 'Doses of 1g per day and lower are not associated with a meaningful increase in atrial fibrillation. But doses of greater than 1g a day show a substantial, close to 50 percent increased risk of atrial fibrillation.'
She continued, 'I don't think the public should be alarmed about this study because most organizations currently do not recommend omega-3 supplements for primary prevention of heart disease. They currently recommend one to two servings of fish a week.'
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