Taking a simple once-daily capsule of fish oil improves survival prospects for patients with heart failure, results of a major clinical study showed on Sunday, reported reuters. The positive finding boosts the health-giving reputation of fish oil and is particularly encouraging because heart failure -- a chronic condition in which the heart struggles to pump blood effectively -- is notoriously difficult to treat. It is a major plus for Norway's Pronova BioPharma, which makes the medicine used in the test, although doctors said cheap over-the-counter products should work just as well. Pronova is a world leader in producing pharmaceuticals from fish oil, a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. The news also vindicates GlaxoSmithKline's decision to snap up U.S. rights to Pronova's product Lovaza last November, by acquiring Reliant Pharmaceuticals for $1.65 billion. Omega-3 fatty acids have in the past been linked to a range of health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimer's disease and depression. Luigi Tavazzi of the ANMCO Research Centre in Florence, Italy, told the European Society of Cardiology annual meeting that patients on Lovaza, followed up for an average 3.9 years, were 9 percent less likely to die than those given a placebo, or dummy capsule. They were also less likely to be admitted to hospital with cardiovascular problems. Patients on active treatment received a daily Lovaza capsule containing 1 gram of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
