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Popularly thought as the miracle supplement that could prevent anything from forgetfulness to cardiovascular disease, Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids has now been proven to be ineffective in preventing cardio vascular illness, early death, by any cause, and infact does not sustain longevity at all. 

"Treatment with marine-derived omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for the prevention of major cardiovascular adverse outcomes has been supported by a number of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and refuted by others.,"

Background information gathered from the American Medical Association purports that current guidelines issued by major societies recommend their use, either as supplements or through dietary counseling, especially for people who had suffered from heart attacks; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved their administration only as triglyceride-lowering agents in patients with overt hypertriglyceridemia, and some (but not all) European national regulatory agencies have approved the omega-3 administration for cardiovascular risk modification.

The confusion stemming from the varying labeling indications causes doubt in clinical practice about whether or not to use these agents for cardiovascular protection.

In order to put the controversy to rest once and for all, Evangelos C. Rizos, M.D., Ph.D., of the University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece, and colleagues performed a large-scale synthesis of any available evidence to determine the association between omega-3 PUFAs and major cardiovascular outcomes.

According to a systematic review and meta-analysis of 3,635 citations retrieved, 20 studies which included 68,680 randomized patients were reporting 7,044 deaths results indicated no statistically significant association with all-cause mortality, cardiac death, sudden death, heart attack, and stroke when all supplement studies were considered.

The authors conclude that "omega-3 PUFAs, such as the primary content and purpose of fish oil, are not statistically significantly associated with major cardiovascular outcomes across various patient populations. Our findings do not justify the use of omega-3 as a structured intervention in everyday clinical practice or guidelines supporting dietary omega-3 PUFA administration."