Fish Oil for Heart Attack Patients
In Italy, fish oil aka omega-3 fatty acids is considered a critical part of heart attack patients’ daily drug regimen. The same is not true in the U.S. despite studies that show omega-3 fatty acids’ effectiveness for preventing heart disease. In the U.S., prescription fish oil is not licensed to be sold as a heart disease treatment so drug companies cannot promote it for that use and to help spread the word of fish oil’s benefits. One prescription fish oil is Omacor.
So community doctors do not learn how to use the drug. Lack of F.D.A. approval also means that insurers will not pay for treatment with Omacor. Approval from the agency for the use of the drug in heart disease is not expected soon.
For those of us who aren’t getting Omacor off label from our doctors, the only alternative is over-the-counter supplements which may not be as good. Still, it may be better than nothing. Use your best judgment and consult your physician when considering fish oil supplements.
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The American Heart Association recommends eating (fatty) fish at least two times a week and lists the following benefits of omega-3 fatty acids:
- Decrease risk of arrhythmias, which can lead to sudden cardiac death
- Decrease triglyceride levels
- Decrease growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque
- Lower blood pressure (slightly)
New York Times, October 3, 2006
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POSTED IN: Heart Drugs
3 opinions for Fish Oil for Heart Attack Patients
Jon Mikel
Oct 6, 2006 at 7:18 am
The main benefit of omega-3 fatty acids is to increase HDL serum levels, wich is the primary protective factor for atherosclerotic disease.
There are four options:
Get a recipe.
Get a supplemmen at GNC.
Eat fresh salmon or tuna daily.
Take ONE glass of red wine daily.
Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD
Oct 6, 2006 at 10:21 am
Thanks for advice, doc! Seriously, folks, Dr. Jon Mikel is a physician over at Unbounded Medicine. :)
Omega-3 Junky
Oct 7, 2006 at 3:58 am
Hi,
I think another issue with drug companies promoting Omega-3 is that Omega-3 being a natural supplement cannot be patent protected, even if FDA were to approve its efficacy for hart disease. Without a patent protection drug companies cannot recover the hefty cost of the approval process, so they will not even try to get it. On the positive side we, as consumers, do not pay for that expensive approval process indirectly through increased prices on Omega-3 or other supplements for that matter. Just my 2c.
Here is some more Omega-3 information:
http://smallplanethealth.com/index.php?pid=3521
Thanks,
Paul
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