Fish oil does not lower the risk of cardiovascular disease or death, according to a new review in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers analyzed 20 studies including 68,680 patients who used omega-3 fatty acids for an average of two years and determined that fish oil had no effect on heart-related death, heart attack, or stroke. These findings follow another recent review showing fish oil did not prevent the recurrence of heart problems among patients.

Rizos EC, Ntzani EE, Bika E, Kostapanos MS, Elisaf MS. Association between omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and risk of major cardiovascular disease events: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2012;308:1024-1033.

Kwak SM, Myung SK, Lee YJ. Efficacy of Omega-3 Fatty acid supplements (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172:986-994.

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