Developments in Brief : Fish Oil Questioned as Cardiac Benefit

Not enough research has been done to prove fish-oil supplements can prevent heart disease, despite studies correlating seafood intake with low rates of cardiac disorders, a heart specialist says.

The theory that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may protect against heart disease has not been subjected to rigorous testing, said Dr. Garret FitzGerald, a Vanderbilt University researcher. He called for more studies on the long-term side effects of fish-oil consumption.

Other researchers have warned that the fatty acids in fish oil have a blood-thinning effect and that the oil, if taken in large quantities, can contribute to excess bleeding during injury.

People who are ingesting fish-oil capsules to ward off heart disease would be wiser to take up exercise or reduce cholesterol intake, FitzGerald said. “If there is a benefit (to fish-oil supplements), it’s likely to be a pretty mild one compared to stopping smoking or lowering blood pressure,” he said at last week’s American Heart Assn. seminar in Monterey.