title: Effects of fish oil supplementation on cardiac function in chronic heart failure: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effects of fish oil on cardiac function, ventricular remodelling and functional capacity in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) remain controversial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate effects of fish oil on cardiac function and related parameters in CHF patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library and references cited in related reviews and studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised controlled trials of fish oil supplementation on cardiac function in patients with CHF were identified.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two investigators read all papers and extracted all relevant information. A fixed effect or, in the presence of heterogeneity, a random effect model, was used to estimate the combined effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  7 trials with 825 participants were included. Meta-analysis results showed that left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly increased (weighted mean difference (WMD) = 2.25%, 95% CI 0.66 to 3.83, p = 0.005) and left ventricular end-systolic volume was significantly decreased (WMD = 7.85 ml, 95% CI -15.57 to -0.12, p = 0.05) in the fish oil group compared with the placebo group, although left ventricular end-diastolic volume was not significantly affected. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis indicated that the improvement in left ventricular systolic function was more remarkable in patients with nonischaemic heart failure. Fish oil supplementation also improved the New York Heart Association functional classification and peak oxygen consumption in patients with non-ischaemic heart failure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvement in cardiac function, remodelling and functional capacity may be important mechanisms underlying the potential therapeutic role of fish oil for patients with CHF. These effects might be more remarkable in patients with non-ischaemic heart failure.
authors: First Department of Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, 28 Fuxing Road, Beijing 100853, China. lixy301@163.com
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Xin
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Wei
authors: Xiaoying
authors: X
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D005395:Fish Oils