Can fish oil stave off heart disease?

Ask the doctor

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Q. I'm taking fish oil supplements to keep me from getting heart disease, because my doctor said they may help, though it's controversial. I hear new studies come to different conclusions. What's the truth?

A. In these pages, the best we can promise you is a balanced assessment of sometimes different study results: the "truth" usually is elusive. Your question likely was prompted by two important new studies published in November 2018, and they do seem to point in different directions. I'll do my best to give you my current "bottom line" and resolve the confusion. I reserve the right to change my mind as new studies are reported.