You may be hard-pressed to find many side effects associated with fish oil; harder still is to find side effects that target the heart specifically. An overwhelming amount of evidence shows that fish oil protects and defends the heart against disease. But despite all the benefits promoting and supporting the healthy lipids in fish oil, they can have side effects on the heart -- and under certain medical conditions, these side effects can be quite significant.
High Cholesterol
Triglycerides are fat constituents of cholesterol. They circulate in the blood and provide the body with fuel for energy. If triglyceride levels rise, cholesterol levels also rise; when elevated cholesterol persists, you have an increased risk of atherosclerosis and aneurysms. While the essential fatty acids found in fish oil typically lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, individuals with existing high cholesterol may experience a further increase, making the condition worse. Your physician can help determine any dietary changes by ordering a simple blood test that measures blood cholesterol levels.
High Blood Pressure
If you take medication for high blood pressure, consult a physician before introducing a significant amount of fish oil into your diet. Usually, fish oil has the desired effect of lowering blood pressure. However, for high blood pressure already managed by medications, the addition of fish oil may have the undesired side effect of lowering blood pressure too much.
Arrhythmia and ICDs
In the June 16, 2005, issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association," Dr. Merritt Raitt reported his findings on the effects of fish oil in patients with an implantable cardio-defribrillator, or ICD, and a history of ventricular tachycardia, or VT, and ventricular fibrillation, or VF. While fish oil fatty acids have shown a potential to subvert deadly arrhythmias, the exact mechanisms for how they do this is unknown. Considering that Dr. Raitt found fish oil to cause arrhythmis in ICD patients, more research is warranted. According to Dr. Raitt, fish oil may increase the risk of VT or VF in some patients with ICDs; therefore, the doctor recommended that patients with ICDs and recurrent ventricular arrhythmias avoid fish oil.
References
- "Lipid Metabolism and Health"; Moffatt, R J et. al; 2006
- Creighton University: Medical Center: Adverse Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake
- MedlinePlus: Drugs and Supplements
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Fish Oil Supplementation and Risk of Ventricular Tachycardia and Ventricular Fibrillation in Patients with Implantable Defibrillators: A Randomized Controlled Trial; Raitt, Merritt H. et al.; 2005
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