Fish oil in cardiovascular prevention.

The potential benefits of fish oil have been touted for several decades. The authors review evidence from epidemiologic, retrospective, and controlled prospective clinical trials demonstrating the effects of omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) for the prevention of major cardiovascular events including myocardial infarction and stroke in primary and especially secondary prevention settings. Fish oil's efficacy in reducing total mortality and sudden cardiac death appears particularly promising, probably due to potent antiarrhythmic effects. We believe it is now time to consider fish oil therapy, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), for most patients with known cardiovascular disease and for patients at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, particularly patients at increased risk of sudden cardiac death.