A Dietary Supplement That Reduces Heart Risks in Dialysis Patients: Learn More

A Dietary Supplement That Reduces Heart Risks 

                                       

A Dietary Supplement That Reduces Heart Risks in Dialysis Patients: Learn More

A large-scale international study has revealed remarkable results for kidney failure patients undergoing dialysis. It showed that taking a fish oil supplement daily can significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and heart-related deaths.

The study, led by research teams from Monash University in Australia and the Monash Health Foundation, was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American Society of Nephrology's Kidney Week 2025 conference.

The trial, known as PISCES, included 1,228 patients undergoing dialysis at 26 medical centers in Australia and Canada. Participants received either a daily 4-gram fish oil supplement or a placebo over the follow-up period.

The results showed that patients taking fish oil experienced a 43% reduction in serious cardiac events compared to the placebo group. These events included heart attacks, strokes, and deaths from heart disease, as well as amputations related to vascular problems.

Professor Kevin Polkinghorne, a nephrologist at Monash Health and one of the study's leaders, said that dialysis patients are among the most vulnerable to heart disease, given the limited number of proven treatments that can reduce this risk.

He explained that "most previous clinical trials in this area have not yielded positive results, so these findings represent a rare and important advance in the care of kidney patients." He added that dialysis patients often have lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, compared to the general population, which may explain the significant benefit observed in this specific group.

Results Not Applicable to Everyone

Despite the importance of the findings, the researchers emphasized that the benefits of fish oil revealed by the study are limited to patients undergoing dialysis and cannot be generalized to healthy individuals or other patients without kidney failure.

Polkinghorne emphasized that "the results do not mean that fish oil supplements will provide the same benefit for everyone; rather, they should be viewed specifically within this high-risk group." The researchers hope these findings will pave the way for including fish oil as a supportive option in dialysis treatment protocols, given the critical need for effective strategies to reduce the high cardiac burden in this population.