Omega-3 could help healing after a heart attack

A 2016 study conducted by Dr. Raymond Kwong and his team at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital demonstrates how omega-3 fatty acids can decelerate or even prevent damage following a heart attack.

One of the things that wasn’t yet clear was how omega-3 (fish oil) affects people who have already suffered a heart attack. Dr. Kwong and his team used sophisticated imaging techniques which helped provide detailed images of the heart and how it changes in the following days and weeks after a heart attack.

The randomized research, published in Circulation magazine, examined around 360 people who had recently suffered a cardiac arrest. Participants were given four grams of omega-3 fatty acids or a placebo pill for six months. Every two months they were monitored to see how their heart muscle had changed.

Normally, after a heart attack, one part of the heart lacks oxygen. That part never recovers. The remaining healthy tissue needs to work harder so that the regular pumping force from the heart can be maintained. With time, the healthy tissue could cease performing its functions because of scar tissues, which are nonetheless necessary as they prevent the mechanical failure of your heart’s pumping action.

Dr. Kwong and his team found that people given the high omega-3 fatty acids dose had a 6% lower decline in heart function compared to those who were given the placebo. Also, those who showed highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood (the level by which they are absorbed by people differs) had a greater reduction in scarring compared to those with the lowest level.

The analysis of the blood samples showed that the participants who took omega-3 supplements demonstrated lower levels of inflammation, something which indicates that omega-3s may reduce inflammation after a heart attack. The good news is that this is the first encouraging strategy for protecting the heart after a heart attack.

According to Dr. Kwong, in general it’s not a bad idea to try to eat more fatty fish, even if there’s no way that eating fish will provide the same amount of omega-3 that patients got in this trial. In fact, the American Heart Association recommends two servings of fatty fish like salmon or albacore tuna per week.

It has always been known that Omega-3 supplements are vital for a healthy diet. MOXXOR Omega-3 has what it takes to ensure you get what you need for a healthier heart.