This fish oil and heart health story started when there was an observation that people who were taking high intake of fatty fish had low rates of heart attack and stroke because their diets were high in polyunsaturated fats or omega-3 fatty acids, which led to the hypothesis that these fats may be good for heart health. This was followed by a large Italian study published over 20 years ago which showed that heart attack survivors who took omega-3 or "fish oil" supplements had significant reduction in death, heart attack, and stroke compared to those who did not receive the supplement, which prompted the American Heart Association to recommend fish oil supplements to patients with heart disease.

Espedilla, F. (2020, July 7). Fish oil supplements for the heart. SunStar Davao, p. 6.