Previous research has shown that omega-3 can help to keep the heart healthy. NICE guide-lines recommend 7g of omega-3 fatty acids, from two to four portions of fish, per week.

This latest study involved 6,975 patients who were ran-domly assigned either a daily dose of 1g of omega-3 polyun-saturated fatty acids or placebo.

Patients were followed up over four years, during which the primary end point was death or admission to hospital for cardiovascular events.

Overall, the patients taking omega-3 had a 14 per cent reduction in risk of death compared with patients on placebo. This means that if 56 patients took omega-3 daily for four years, then one death from CVD would be avoided.

Lead researcher Professor Luigi Tavazzi, from Milan's Mario Negri Institute, said omega-3 was 'moderately effec-tive, safe, and cheap'.

sanjay.tanday@haymarket.com

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