called omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish like tuna and salmon, may not do much to ward off heart attacks and strokes in people who already have heart disease, according to an international analysis. The research, which appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine and covered 14 studies, found that there was no difference in the number of heart attacks, strokes or deaths among more than 20,000 people with heart disease who were randomly assigned to take either fish oil supplements or fish oil-free placebo pills. Research has been mixed on the possible heart-related benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids, specifically those known as EPA and DHA, which can be taken as fish oil supplements as well as eaten. “There is a common perception that fish oil supplements have been proven to prevent cardiovascular disease, and in fact the evidence has been inconsistent and inconclusive,” said JoAnn Manson, head of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Researchers from Korea combined the results of 14 studies that tracked heart disease patients taking fish oil or a placebo, without knowing which they were getting, for between one and five years. That included reports from the United States and India, as well as Italy, Germany and elsewhere in Europe. Longer-term studies are needed on the impact of fish oil, said Manson. But for now people should continue to follow recommendations that advise at least two servings a week of fatty fish.
