National health guidelines have been often promoting omega-3 fish oils as being good for cardiovascular health, but a new study has shown that these oils do not reduce the risk of heart disease.
The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The analysis consisted of 72 previous studies that showed that there is not enough statistical support to say that the consumption of these oils is beneficial for cardiovascular health, according to The Chicago Tribune.
Studies that have been done in the past have shown that fish oil can help cut down unhealthy blood fat and, essentially, reduce your risk of heart attack and heart disease. However, in more recent studies, fish oil has been shown to have a very limited effect on heart health.
"The current guidelines should reflect the most recent evidence that show that their apparent benefit for reducing coronary risk is potentially low,"said lead author, Rajiv Chowdhury.
The study, published Monday, did not find that the fatty acids, recommended by the American Heart Association, had any significant effect in reducing the risk of heart disease.
Any patients inquiring about omega-3 supplements should be made aware of the uncertainty around the supplementation, according to CNN. The actual foods, fish, nuts, tree oils, should be recommended instead.
Linda Van Horn announced that the AHA will be holding a meeting later this week to discuss what this paper means and to get expert’s opinions.