Fish oil is generally good for the heart, but a 2005 study found that it may be harmful to those with pre-existing heart problems, particularly ventricular tachycardia. Further studies confirm this, and physicians are now cautious about recommending fish oil to heart patients with tachycardia.
Fish oil has long been thought to be good for the heart. In many cases it’s absolutely great for preventing heart attacks because it helps lower bad cholesterol, which can lead to plaque in the arteries and heart failure. However, evidence compiled in 2005 suggests that at least some people with pre-existing heart problems shouldn’t take fish oil, and that it may in fact be doing more harm than good.
A 2005 study looked at patients with a history of arrhythmias to evaluate the benefits of a regular regimen of fish oil supplementation. The desired finding in this study was that fish oil would reduce the incidence of arrhythmias, and therefore would be an excellent complementary tool to traditional cardiac medicines and treatments.
In many cases, the incidence of the abnormal heartbeat is decreased. However one group, those with ventricular tachycardia, actually had more incidences of arrhythmias than the group taking the placebo. While scientists aren’t entirely certain why this occurs, they are clear that fish oil may pose more risk than good for those who have previously suffered a heart attack or have been diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia in the past.
Further studies with a patient population composed entirely of ventricular tachycardia patients confirm these findings, and now physicians are backtracking on the issue of recommending fish oil to patients with heart problems, particularly when those problems are tachycardia in origin.
Those who have ventricular tachycardia may have very fast heart rhythms, which can lead to heart attacks. In some cases, ventricular tachycardia may require the placement of a defibrillator to control abnormal rhythms. Even when a person has a defibrillator placed, they should probably avoid fish oil.
It’s not clear whether fish oil would predispose those who might eventually develop arrhythmias to take them sooner. Scientists think that those with ventricular tachycardia may process oils differently than other people, although this mechanism isn’t clearly understood.
In most cases, a daily dose of fish oil can be a heart-healthy choice. However, those with arrhythmias or a family history of arrhythmias should definitely discuss their risks with a doctor before taking fish oil.
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