最新研究显示，鱼油补助品在治疗心脏衰竭病人上，比降胆固醇药物更有效。据《联合早报》消息，意大利研究员让将近3500名病人每天服用以鱼油制成的omega—3脂肪酸药丸，另一组同等数目的病人，则服用安慰剂。
在长达四年的研究中，服食含鱼油药丸的病人当中，有1981个死于心脏衰竭或因为相关病例被送院治疗，而服用安慰剂的病人当中，有2053个因为心脏衰竭而丧命或送院治疗。
这组研究员也在同时，让2285名病人服食降胆固醇药物Crestor，并让另外2289名病人服用降胆固醇安慰剂。连续四年的研究显示，这两组病人的心脏衰竭病发率差别不大。
这项研究结果8月31日在爱思唯尔期刊《柳叶刀》（The Lancet）的网站上发布，并同时在慕尼黑举行的欧洲心脏病学会会议上公布。
“这(研究)再次强调了治疗心脏衰竭的病人，不单只靠药物。”欧洲心脏病学会发言人汉纳迪表示。心脏衰竭是由于心脏无法有效输送足够的血液到全身。
美国心脏病学会主席韦弗医生表示，“这是协助所有患上心血管疾病病人的低科技解决方法。”
原始出处：
The Lancet，doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61239-8，GISSI-HF investigators
Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with chronic heart failure (the GISSI-HF trial): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
GISSI-HF investigators
Several epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) can exert favourable effects on atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease, including arrhythmias. We investigated whether n-3 PUFA could improve morbidity and mortality in a large population of patients with symptomatic heart failure of any cause.
We undertook a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 326 cardiology and 31 internal medicine centres in Italy. We enrolled patients with chronic heart failure of New York Heart Association class II–IV, irrespective of cause and left ventricular ejection fraction, and randomly assigned them to n-3 PUFA 1 g daily (n=3494) or placebo (n=3481) by a concealed, computerised telephone randomisation system. Patients were followed up for a median of 3·9 years (IQR 3·0–4·5). Primary endpoints were time to death, and time to death or admission to hospital for cardiovascular reasons. Analysis was by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00336336.
We analysed all randomised patients. 955 (27%) patients died from any cause in the n-3 PUFA group and 1014 (29%) in the placebo group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0·91 [95·5% CI 0·833–0·998], p=0·041). 1981 (57%) patients in the n-3 PUFA group and 2053 (59%) in the placebo group died or were admitted to hospital for cardiovascular reasons (adjusted HR 0·92 [99% CI 0·849–0·999], p=0·009). In absolute terms, 56 patients needed to be treated for a median duration of 3·9 years to avoid one death or 44 to avoid one event like death or admission to hospital for cardiovascular reasons. In both groups, gastrointestinal disorders were the most frequent adverse reaction (96 [3%] n-3 PUFA group vs 92 [3%] placebo group).
A simple and safe treatment with n-3 PUFA can provide a small beneficial advantage in terms of mortality and admission to hospital for cardiovascular reasons in patients with heart failure in a context of usual care.
Società Prodotti Antibiotici (SPA; Italy), Pfizer, Sigma Tau, and AstraZeneca.
