We know that japanese people have one of the longest lifespans at 90 years old. Also that they have a low incidence of heart attacks since their diet is high in fish.
So it comes as a pleasant surprise when a landmark study on 18,000 Japanese men and women comes out in the prestigious Lancet Journal. The study is called JELIS for Japan EPA (fish oil) Lipid Intervention Study. The researchers want to find out if taking fish oil supplements can provide additional health benefits to Japanese patients already taking maintenance medicines on high cholesterol.
Kinds of Fish Oil
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the beneficial kinds of fish oils for heart disease are the marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids, which are the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosaheaxaenoic acid (DHA). These are the fish oils found in mackerel, tuna and salmon. Omega-3 fatty acids have been endorsed by the AHA Scientific Statement on fish oil, published in Circulation 2002. The American doctors cite fish oil's beneficial effect in preventing heart attacks, strokes and other diseases.
Fish Oil Prevents Heart Attacks and Lowers Bad Cholesterol
The current Japanese study is unique because it followed up 18,000 plus patients for 4.6 years! Half of these patients, around 9,326 Japanese were given EPA at 1800mg a day in addition to their statin drugs. The other group of 9,319 patients were given statin drugs alon to serve as a control group. Patients were then strictly followed up with blood tests, check-ups and heart monitoring. Now which group do you think fared better after 4.6 years?
Japanese doctors found out that the group who took fish oil supplements had 19% less heart attacks compared to those who relied on statin drugs alone! Moreover, there was a 24% reduction in unstable angina ( a less severe form of heart attack).
And that is not all, the JELIS study also showed a huge 26% reduction in bad cholesterol or LDL. Moreover, fish oil also lowered triglyceride levels by 9%.
The JELIS investigators were led by Dr. Mitsuhiro Yokohama from Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, who believes that the life-saving benefits of fish oil is due to a lessening of inflammation and protection of the heart against irregular heart beating.
Around the world, this study sends a signal to doctors to focus less on expensive treatments and invasive procedures, and instead concentrate on fundamental risk factors for heart disease like diet, smoking, and physical activitiy. Just think: With a simple fish oil supplement, you can lower your risk for a heart attack.
Focus on affordable treatments
Dr. Darius Mozaffarian from Harvard Medical School commends the effort of the Japanese investigators. He believes that other studies should focus more on fish oil and dietary supplements. "Compared with drugs, invasive procedures and devices, modest dietary changes are low risk, inexpensive and widely available, writes Dr. Mozaffarian.
Although the dose of fish oil used in the study was quite high at 1800 mg per day, Dr. Mozaffarian contends that a dose of 250mg of EPA a day already has substantial health benefits, which corresponds to 2 servings of fish a week. higher doses of fish oil have additional benefits in preventing heart attacks and balancing cholesterol levels.
source: HOW TO LIVE LONGER book
JELIS STUDY
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