Heart Attack :: Fish oil good for heart attack patients

Fish oil supplements are considered good for heart attack patients, and could prevent a repeat attack of survivors of cardiac arrest, MI.

New health guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommend cardiac patients one gram of omega-3 fatty acids every day to reduce the risk of having a repeat attack by up to 45 per cent.

Essential to human health, omega-3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fats that are not made by the body and must be obtained from a person’s food. Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids is part of a healthy diet and helps people maintain their health.

There is strong evidence that omega-3 fatty acids protect a person against atherosclerosis andtherefore against heart disease and stroke, as well as abnormal heart rhythms that cause sudden cardiac death, and possibly autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, Drs. Dean Ornish and Mehmet Oz, renowned heart physicians, said in a 2002 article published in O Magazine that the benefits derived from consuming the proper daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce sudden cardiac death by as much as 50%.

However, the guidelines only suggest pills for patients who have had a heart attack in the previous three months and are not getting enough oily fish in their diet. Experts drawing up guidelines for NICE said lifestyle changes were as important as drugs in preventing a recurrence of heart attack.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the ways in which omega-3 fatty acids may reduce cardiovascular disease are still being studied. However, the AHA indicates that research as shown that omega-3 fatty acids:

decrease the risk of arrthythmias, which can lead to sudden cardiac death
decrease triglyceride levels
decrease the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque
lower blood pressure slightly


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