Dialysis patients have a high and persistent risk of heart attacks, strokes, and sudden cardiac death.

Despite skilled medical care, options for preventing these emergencies remain limited, leaving doctors with few reliable tools to reduce cardiovascular risk.

A new large-scale clinical trial suggests that a simple daily supplement may help bridge this gap.

Amazing benefits of fish oil

Researchers report that taking high doses of fish oil significantly reduces the risk of serious heart disease in long-term dialysis patients, an effect far superior to what has been observed in previous studies on dietary supplements.

The study was led by Dr. Charmaine Locke from the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, whose research focuses on improving survival and heart health in patients with kidney failure.

This focus is critical because dialysis patients are often on multiple medications, yet few of them directly address the cardiovascular risks that take so many lives.

Researchers at the University of Toronto Health Network (UHN) conducted a randomized trial of 1,228 adults on regular dialysis to test daily fish oil capsules.

The doctors randomly assigned the participants to two groups: the fish oil group and the corn oil group, without the patients or medical staff knowing the groups were assigned.

Over a period of 3 1/2 years, people who took fish oil experienced significantly fewer serious heart emergencies than those who took corn oil.

In practice, the incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and related events was reduced by nearly half in the fish oil group over the study period.

Mortality also decreased, and strokes recorded the largest decline among all outcomes measured.

These results suggest effective protection, although dialysis patients still experience serious health risks associated with kidney failure.

How do omega-3 fatty acids affect the heart?

Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil can change the way cells handle fats and chemical signals, which may help soothe stressed blood vessels.

At higher doses, these fatty acids can reduce inflammation and may reduce the likelihood of dangerous blood clots forming.

Evidence summarized in a scientific report shows that omega-3 supplements have not provided consistent heart benefits in large-scale clinical trials.

But dialysis patients may be different because kidney failure changes blood chemistry and heart rhythm, which means these mechanisms need to be closely monitored, according to the study.