Fatty Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Lower Heart Failure Risk in Men

According to a recent study published in the European Heart Journal, men who eat fatty fish and a moderate amount of omega-3 fatty acids may lower their risk of heart failure. Study leader Dr. Emily Levitan, a cardiology research fellow at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, along with colleagues, followed almost 40,000 Swedish men over about seven years, from 1998 to 2004. Levitan and her team, which included researchers from both the U.S. and Sweden, analyzed the diets and health results of each man involved in the study. Men who consumed fatty fish once a week, including mackerel, salmon, whitefish, herring and char, were 12 percent less likely to develop heart failure when compared with those who never consumed fatty fish. However, eating more than one serving of fatty fish each week did not provide any additional heart protection. Instead, the risk of heart failure for those men was equal to that of men who never ate fatty fish. As for omega-3 fatty acids, the study found that men who consumed about 0.3 grams each day had a lower risk of heart failure than those who consumed no omega-3 fatty acids or very minimal amounts. Similarly to the consumption of fatty fish, men who consumed more than a moderate amount of omega-3 fatty acids saw no additional benefits and actually experienced the same risk as those who consumed little or no omega-3 fatty acids. These types of omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon, tuna, and halibut, cod liver oil and other fish oils.

Over the course of the study, 597 of the participants, ages 45 to 79 developed heart failure, having had no history of heart disease or diabetes. Of the men that developed heart disease, 34 died as a result of the disorder. According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 5.7 million Americans are living with heart failure, and 670,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. The condition is manageable with proper treatment and certain changes in diet, exercise and lifestyle. If heart failure is not detected or it is left untreated, the condition can be fatal. If you or a loved one has experienced a delay in diagnosis or treatment of a serious heart problem, please call or e-mail the personal injury attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. We serve clients with Brooklyn medical malpractice, Bronx medical malpractice, Manhattan medical malpractice, Queens medical malpractice and Long Island medical malpractice cases. We also serve clients located in Staten Island and Westchester County.

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