Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Primary Care Physicians

Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, HI recently published the outcomes of a survey concerning omega-3 fatty acids and primary care physicians. Specifically, this survey looked over how frequently primary care physicians in Washington State prescribed omega-3 fatty acids fish oil health supplements.

Only 17% of the responding physicians were identified as "high fish prescribers ".Since fish oil supplements are readily available and a "prescription" is not necessary, it could be that physicians feel it's not necessary to recommend omega-3s to patients. But, other factors might be at play.

Time, Time, Time...

Nearly all the physicians surveyed agreed that proper nutrition is very important in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and that patients must certanly be advised about dietary considerations. A little more than half recognized the effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil health supplements or just adding fish to the diet in "secondary prevention" of heart disease Family Doctor Katy. So, exactly why is it that fish oil is not frequently recommended?

Maybe you have visited much of your care physician lately? In many aspects of the united states, primary care physicians commonly schedule 6 or even more patients per hour. And thus the waiting room is packed and your own time with your doctor may add up to little over 5 minutes.

Those physicians in the survey who frequently recommended fish oil also reported having additional time to discuss the importance of diet making use of their patients. The researchers suggested that "reducing time barriers connected with dietary counseling must certanly be explored further to boost recommendation with this important advice."

Other Barriers...

...in January of 2006, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School wrote, "Physicians face several barriers to counseling their patients about nutrition, including conflicting proof of the main benefit of counseling, limited training and understanding of the topic, and imperfect and varied guidelines to follow."

Numerous studies have confirmed medical great things about omega-3 fatty acids and primary care physicians should be aware of these benefits, but since (as with practically everything in medicine) you can find conflicting opinions about omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil health supplements and dietary use of fish, the topic can be confusing. You will find no clear-cut rules about how much is too much, or just around how little is effective.

Concerns over the presence of mercury in fish make it even harder to offer dietary recommendations which can be put on everyone. Women of child bearing age and children need certainly to utilize the most care when selecting which fish to eat and how often. As an example, Oceans Alive, a department of the Environmental Defense Network, recommends that small children shouldn't eat Atlantic salmon, due to possible mercury contamination.