Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods, such as fish and flaxseed, and in dietary supplements, such as fish oil.
The three main omega-3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, the main form of plant omega-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
ALA is found mainly in plant oils such as flaxseed, soybean, and canola oils. DHA and EPA are found in fish and other seafood.
In a study from Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute in Spain, scientists found that heart failure patients with lower ALA had a worse prognosis during follow-up compared with patients with higher levels.
The benefits of dietary omega-3 fatty acids have been well-established in previous studies, but research into ALA levels and heart failure risk has been less explored.
In the study, researchers obtained data and blood samples from 905 patients with heart failure between June 2006 and September 2020.
The researchers tested blood samples for ALA levels which were broken down as a percentage of the total of 20 determined fatty acids.
After a follow-up of 2.4 years, the researchers documented 140 all-cause deaths, 85 cardiovascular deaths, and 141 first heart failure hospitalizations.
The researchers found strong reductions in all-cause death, first heart failure hospitalization, and heart death in people with higher ALA levels.
The findings show that once heart failure is present in an individual, increasing ALA levels may be tied to a better prognosis.
In addition, plant-based diets may have a positive effect on heart failure prognosis, and foods rich in ALA (flaxseed oil, walnuts, chia, and canola oil) are a possible preventive tool to stop or delay the continuum of heart failure.
The researchers hope that these findings can pave the way for future trials to test whether regular consumption of foods rich in ALA could serve as a preventive strategy to improve outcomes and promote quality of life in heart failure patients with low circulating ALA
If you care about heart health, please read studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and calcium supplements could harm your heart health.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies that magnets in common popular devices may harm your heart health, and results showing this gland problem in your neck is linked to stroke and heart attack.
The study was conducted by Aleix Sala-Vila et al and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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