Taking Fish Oil Supplements and to a lesser degree, eating particular fish, reduces the risk of developing heartfailure in men

Eating fatty fish once a week, or even better, an intake of about 0.3 grams per day of marine omega-3 fatty acids (Fish Oil Capsules), appear to reduce the risk of heart failure in middle-aged and elderly Swedish men. The researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston studied data on more than 39,000 men, ages 45-79 years, in central Sweden. Herring, mackerel, salmon, whitefish, and char were considered fatty fish. Marine omega-3 fatty acids were derived from food sources or consumed as supplements. 

Over an average follow-up of seven years, heart failure developed in 597 subjects. Eating fatty fish once per week versus not at all reduced the risk of heart failure by about 12%, although the association was not significant from a statistical standpoint. By contrast, the association between marine omega-3 fatty acids and heart failure was significant, with the lowest risk seen among those in the middle range of intake, that is, 320 - 400 mg. per day. The study is published in the April 22, 2009 issue of the European Heart Journal.