Big studies give mixed news on fish oil, vitamin D

CHICAGO (AP) — Two big studies give long-awaited answers on who does and does not benefit from taking fish oil or vitamin D.

One finds that a prescription strength fish oil slashed heart problems and heart-related deaths among people with high triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood, and other heart risks.

But another study in healthy people found no clear benefit from a lower dose of fish oil, an amount that's common in dietary supplements.

A separate test of vitamin D pills found they also did not lower heart or cancer risks.

Results were revealed Saturday at an American Heart Association conference in Chicago and published by the New England Journal of Medicine.