Effects of omega-3 fatty acid on major cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

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#cardiovascular-diseases #cause-of-death #death #fatty-acids-omega-3 #humans

Effects of omega-3 fatty acid on major cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Yu et al., 2022 | Medicine (Baltimore) | Meta Analysis

Citation

Yu Fangyu, Qi Shun, ... Cao Ruokui. Effects of omega-3 fatty acid on major cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2022-Jul-29;101(30):e29556. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000029556

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The effects of omega-3 fatty acid on cardiovascular health obtained inconsistent results. A systematic review and meta-analysis were therefore conducted to assess the effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for primary and secondary prevention strategies of major cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: The databases of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library were systematically searched from their inception until September 2020. Relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals were used to assess effect estimates by using the random-effects model. RESULTS: Twenty-eight randomized controlled trials involving 136,965 individuals were selected for the final meta-analysis. Omega-3 fatty acid was noted to be associated with a lower risk of major cardiovascular events (RR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-1.00; P = .049) and cardiac death (RR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.85-0.99; P = .022). However, no significant differences was noted between omega-3 fatty acid and the control for the risks of all-cause mortality (RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.92-1.03; P = .301), myocardial infarction (RR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.80-1.01; P = .077), and stroke (RR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.94-1.11; P = .694). CONCLUSIONS: Major cardiovascular events and cardiac death risks could be avoided with the use of omega-3 fatty acid. However, it has no significant effects on the risk of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke.

Key Findings

Twenty-eight randomized controlled trials involving 136,965 individuals were selected for the final meta-analysis. Omega-3 fatty acid was noted to be associated with a lower risk of major cardiovascular events (RR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-1.00; P = .049) and cardiac death (RR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.85-0.99; P = .022). However, no significant differences was noted between omega-3 fatty acid and the control for the risks of all-cause mortality (RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.92-1.03; P = .301), myocardial infarction (R

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 136965
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Cause of Death
  • Death
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3
  • Humans
  • Myocardial Infarction
  • Stroke

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: omega-3-cardiovascular

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09