A major setback has hit cardiovascular disease treatment and management with the discovery that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have no beneficial effect on individuals who have history of myocardial infarction or heart failure.
In the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, The Risk and Prevention Study Collaborative Group concluded that daily treatment with n-3 fatty acids has no effect on the outcomes of cardiovascular diseases.
"In a large general-practice cohort of patients with multiple
cardiovascular risk factors, daily treatment with n−3 fatty acids did
not reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity," the researchers stated.
In the Società Prodotti Antibiotici-funded research conducted in Italy, researchers recruited 12,513 participants out of which 6244 were randomly assigned to n−3 fatty acids and 6269 to placebo.
" With a median of 5 years of follow-up, the primary end point occurred
in 1478 of 12,505 patients included in the analysis (11.8%), of whom 733
of 6239 (11.7%) had received n−3 fatty acids and 745 of 6266 (11.9%)
had received placebo (adjusted hazard ratio with n−3 fatty acids, 0.97;
95% confidence interval, 0.88 to 1.08; P=0.58). The same null results
were observed for all the secondary end points," they said in the paper.
Prior to this study, n-3 fatty acids such as omega-3 fatty acids were believed to have health benefits in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In Nigeria, several adverts are aired claiming that products containing n-3 fatty acids are heart-friendly. But with this, it is expected that relevant bodies including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Consumer Protection Council (CPC) will ensure that adverts aired in Nigeria reflect this study report that n-3 fatty acids don't have any effect on cardiovascular diseases.
HealthNewsNG has cotacted NAFDAC and CPC for comments.
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