What Would Fish Oil Do for a Man Over Fifty?

If you're a man over age 50, fish oil could reduce your risk of heart disease, the number one killer of men over 50, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fish oil can improve some of the factors that lead to heart disease, such as high cholesterol. Fish oil can also improve other issues that come with aging, such as vision problems and arthritis. Fish oil supplements can also have side effects; ask your doctor for advice on the benefits of taking fish oil.

One of the best documented benefits of fish oil is reduction of factors that cause heart disease, such as high triglyceride levels and blood pressure. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, better known as EPA and DHA, decrease the risk of heart disease in several ways, including decreasing inflammation and clot formation in blood vessels, slightly lowering blood pressure and decreasing triglyceride levels, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Fish oil may also decrease the incidence of arrhythmias that lead to sudden cardiac death. Fish oil supplementation may also raise high-density lipoprotein levels, the so-called "good" cholesterol.

Arthritis causes pain and disability that can have a serious impact on people over age 50. Taking fish oil may help reduce the symptoms of some types of arthritis, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, by reducing the inflammation that causes pain and swelling. Elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis, which develops after age 60, affects men and women in approximately equal numbers, unlike rheumatoid arthritis that develops at an earlier age. A Dutch study published in the February 1990 "Annals of the Rheumatic Disease" found that fish oil supplementation reduced joint swelling and morning stiffness. Taking fish oil with aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs may increase the effectiveness of these drugs, MayoClinic.com reports.

Taking fish oil daily can help relieve dry eye, a common complaint after age 50. Fish oil may also have benefits in treating macular degeneration and cataracts, the All About Vision website reports, two other eye conditions that commonly increase over age 50 in both men and women. In a British study reported in the August 2008 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," eating oily fish once a week or more halved the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration compared with those who ate oily fish less than once per week.

Like any substance, fish oil can also have negative effects. If you take blood thinners such as warfarin, fish oil, which also acts as a blood thinner, could cause excessive bleeding. As you age, your skin becomes thinner and your capillaries become more fragile, making bruising and bleeding more likely even if you don't take blood thinners. Ask your doctor before taking fish oil if you take blood thinners. While fish oil can improve some lipid levels, it can also raise low-density lipoprotein, the so-called "bad" form of cholesterol, MayoClinic.com cautions.

Article reviewed by CarmenN Last updated on: Jan 20, 2012

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