Research
Mixed
Long-chain omega-3 fats may have an early protective effect on mortality that diminishes or reverses over longer follow-up periods, particularly in specific subgroups like men with angina.
If you take omega-3s, do not assume they provide lifelong protection against heart disease. The benefits may be short-lived, and in some cases (like men with angina), long-term use might not help or could even be harmful.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Meta-regression indicated that the risk of death increased as the length of the RCT increased (regression coefficient 0.008, 0.003 to 0.012). This is compatible with omega 3 fats having an early protective effect the association was lost when we removed the large trial by Burr et al.
Why this rating
Based on meta-regression and sensitivity analysis, which are exploratory, and the conflicting results of the Burr et al trial.
Source
Risks and benefits of omega 3 fats for mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review
Lee Hooper et al. · BMJ · 2006
DOI 10.1136/bmj.38755.366331.2f
Meta-analysis · 89 studiesCited 680×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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