Fish oil supplements are used in the UK as a dietary supplement and some previous research has suggested the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil can help prevent cardiovascular disease.
A team of researchers based in China and the US used data from the UK Biobank to investigate the association between fish oil supplements and reducing mortality.
Their analysis included 427,678 Brits aged between 40 and 69-years-old, without CVD or cancer, who were enrolled in the study from 2006 to 2010 and completed a questionnaire on supplement use, including fish oil.
The researchers found that fish oil supplements were associated with a 13% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 7% lower risk of CVD events.
These associations remained after the researchers took into account risk factors including age, sex, lifestyle habits, medication and other supplement use.
Despite the large sample size it was an observational study so the results can’t establish cause and effect.