title: Are n-3 fatty acids still cardioprotective?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several recent randomized trials and subsequent meta-analyses have questioned the value of n-3 fatty acid supplementation in cardiovascular disease risk reduction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This report focuses on four clinical trials published between 2010 and 2012 that have failed to show benefits of n-3 fatty acids, and on one meta-analysis from 2012 that used a controversial statistical approach in reaching a conclusion of no effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The question of the extent to which n-3 fatty acid supplementation reduces risk for cardiovascular disease remains open. Future studies must be properly powered, use doses of n-3 fatty acids significantly higher than those provided in background diets, focus on patient populations with low n-3 fatty acid tissue levels, treat for longer periods of time, and consider the effects of these agents in the great majority of patients who are not on guideline-directed therapeutic regimens. The strong evidence-base from prospective cohort studies and the ever-deepening understanding of the cellular effects of long-chain n-3 fatty acids together support the need for these nutrients in reducing cardiovascular risk. Short-term findings from randomized controlled trials need to be interpreted in the light of all the evidence.
authors.affiliation: Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA. bharris@hdlabinc.com
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005492:Folic Acid