Several studies have examined the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on blood pressure. One study compared people on a diet based on fish with those on a vegetarian diet. The group eating fish had a lower incidence of borderline or high blood pressure. Decrease your risk of abnormal heart rhythms and sudden death. It's unclear whether the benefits of eating fish stem from omega-3 fatty acids alone, the fatty acids combined with other nutrients in fish, or because as you eat more fish you probably eat less animal and saturated fat.
Dietitians generally recommend at least two meals of fish every week for possible heart benefits.
Fish oil capsules aren't a good substitute for fish. In high doses they pose risks, especially if you're regularly taking aspirin or a blood thinner, such as warfarin. Alcohol Dozens of studies show that moderate alcohol consumption lowers the risk of a heart attack for people in their middle ages by roughly 30 to 50 percent. This result seems to hold up, even when you consider other factors that may play a role, such as age and tobacco use. Apparently, the greatest protective effect of alcohol is for men older than age 50, especially smokers and former smokers.