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Fish oil capsules cut death rate in heart failure
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-01 16:32 Of the 7,000 people tracked in the study, 955 patients in the Lovaza group died, compared with 1,014 in the placebo group. That difference may be modest but Jose Ramon Gonzalez Juanatey, a cardiologist at Santiago University Hospital in Spain, who was not involved in the test, said it was clinically meaningful, since the patients were already receiving the best available treatment, leaving little room for improvement. "This is important because heart failure is a major public health problem. Even in well-treated patients, the mortality rate is 10 percent a year, so new therapies and strategies are needed," he said. Current European and US treatment guidelines focus on the role of omega-3 in preventing heart disease but Juanatey said wider guidance to include treating heart failure could be warranted. The findings should also be taken as a message to the public to eat more fish to keep their hearts healthy, Juanatey said. Robert Bonow, a cardiologist at Northwestern University in Chicago, said fish oil capsules were cheap, well-tolerated and did not interfere with other medications, making them an attractive option, even if the benefits were moderate. "I think it makes sense for doctors and their patients to consider using them," he said. Omega-3 is thought to help by stabilising the electrical signals of the heart, as well as reducing blood fat levels. Industry analysts said the latest results should fuel sales growth of Lovaza, also known as Omacor, which is the only EU and US-approved omega-3 prescription drug. Lovaza contributed a modest 67 million pounds ($123 million) to Glaxo's sales in the second quarter but is tipped by some analysts as a potential 500 million-pounds-a-year seller within two years. The findings from the so-called GISSI-HF study were also published online by the Lancet medical journal. |
