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One must first determine whether omega-3 fatty acids are being taken in order to lower triglycerides or simply to help prevent heart disease. If the intent is to lower triglycerides, 3-4 grams per day of n-3 fatty acids are required. This would require the patient to eat over 4 pounds of a low-fat fish like [...]

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All of the preceding effects of omega-3 fatty acids are seen on blood vessels, including the coronary vessels which feed the heart. But n-3 fatty acids, incorporated into the heart itself, may help keep the muscle from dying when its blood supply is cut off during a heart attack. This is an active field of [...]

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Part of the process of atherosclerosis is an inflammatory reaction in damaged blood vessels. High blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes, cigarette smoke, and possibly homocysteine can damage arterial linings and initiate repetitive cycles of injury, inflammation, and repair. These inflammatory cycles, continuing over decades, are thought to contribute to the growth of obstructive [...]

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One of the first recognized effects of omega-3 fatty acids is their ability to “thin the blood.” They make the blood less likely to clot (somewhat like aspirin). This is believed to be a good effect and may contribute to the observed reduction in heart disease seen in some studies. Early concerns about excessive bleding [...]

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Omega-3 fatty acids have their greatest impact on blood triglycerides levels, not on cholesterol. Since they don’t change cholesterol levels, some people have questioned whether they can be helpful. But it appears that lowering triglyceride levels may be good for the heart. EPA and DHA have a small but often significant effect on HDL-cholesterol levels [...]

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The beneficial properties of omega-3 fatty acids can be attributed to their effects upon four of the body’s components: blood lipoproteins, blood platelets, inflammation process, and heart muscle. Briefly, n-3 fatty acids lower lipoproteins, inhibit platelets, decrease the inflammatory reaction, and protect the myocardium.

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Medical reports in the 1970s linked a high-fish diet with reduced heart disease rates in Greenland Eskimos. There has since been a rising interest in the potential health benefits of fish oil. Recent studies have largely confirmed that a component of fish oil called omega-3 fatty acids has cardioprotective effects. The two omega-3 (n-3) fatty [...]