People who eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids have a reduced risk of coronary events. Fish oil capsules containing omega-3 fats are being tested in a variety of clinical settings to evaluate their potential benefit to human health.
One recent study of fish oil capsules (Lovasa) was sponsored by the American Heart Association and published in the online version of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In this study 663 people, who had previously had one or more episodes of a heart irregularity called atrial fibrillation, were treated with 4 grams per day of fish oil capsules or a similar appearing placebo capsule.
During the 24 weeks of the study 33% of the placebo group and 50% of the fish oil group experienced a symptomatic recurrence of atrial fibrillation. This difference was statistically significant and favored the placebo.
Fish oil capsules do NOT prevent episodes of atrial fibrillation.