European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

FISH AND FISH OIL IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

Asha Prabhu, Manjula Shantaram* and H. P. Kedilaya

ABSTRACT

Fish and fish oil are the common dietary sources of long chain ω-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The previous studies suggested that regular consumption of these fatty acids reduces the arrhythmias, endothelial dysfunction, circulating triglyceride level, inflammation, sudden death, myocardial infarction and heart failure. This review will focus on the effects of dietary intake of fish and fish oil on coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, atrial and ventricular fibrillation, heart rate variability, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, lipid profile, chronic heart failure, stroke and sudden death. The review also explores the effects of use of fish oil in combination with other lipid lowering drugs. This review searches were limited to clinical trials, cohort studies, comparative studies, meta-analysis, randomized control trials (RCT) and systematic reviews. Finally, the review will suggest recommendation for dietary intake of fish and fish oil as ω-3 supplements for cardiovascular disease risk reduction and examine the limitations of the current data.

Keywords: Fish, Fish oil, Omega-3 fatty acids, cardiovascular disease.