Fish Oil Urged for Heart Patients

Omega-3 fatty acids are shown to reduce risk of further heart attacks. Doctors are advising heart attack patients to adopt a new lifestyle and eat more oily fish.

Evidence from trials suggests that eating more oily fish can improve survival rates in heart attack patients. The new guidelines recommend that patients who have had a heart attack in the last three months eat more oily fish or are prescribed certain preparations of omega 3 fatty acids.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) believes that eating oily fish is an effective way to cut the risk of further heart attacks. NICE has recommended lifestyle change on the guidelines update in preventing repeat attacks. The new lifestyle section says patients should be advised to give up smoking, be physically active for 20-30 minutes a day, and eat a Mediterranean-style diet.

John Walsh, a patient representative on the Guideline Development Group, said: "There is really a lot of good advice in [the report] that we must ensure gets to patients. He said there was good evidence that secondary heart attacks could be avoided if patients changed their lifestyles.” He said: "The changes that the average person needs to make are really quite small, but it can be a big impact.”

Professor Mayur Lakhani, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: "Having a heart attack used to be a life sentence for patients; now it is possible for most patients to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. This requires a high standard of modern medical care and for patients to follow lifestyle advice."

A recommendation for heart attack patients suggests that patients who do not eat two to four portions of oily fish a week should be given supplements for up to four years. Supplements should only be prescribed to patients who have had a heart attack in the previous three months.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6676999.stm

_________________________________________________________

Purity's OmegaBerry Fish Oil - Supports heart, skin and joint health. No aftertaste. Click here for FREE bottle offer.
_________________________________________________________