RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate by bibliometric and thematic analysis the scientific literature on omega-3 fatty acids indexed in international databases on health sciences and to establish a comparative base for future analysis. METHOD: Searches were conducted with the descriptor (MeSH, as Major Topic) "Fatty Acids, Omega-3" from the first date available until December 31, 2010. Databases consulted: MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, ISI Web of Knowledge, CINAHL and LILACS. RESULTS: The most common type of document was originals articles. Obsolescence was set at 5 years. The geographical distribution of authors who appear as first author was EEUU and the articles were written predominantly in English. The study population was 90.98% (95% CI 89.25 to 92.71) adult humans. The documents were classified into 59 subject areas and the most studied topic 16.24% (95% CI 14.4 to 18.04) associated with omega-3, was cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the scientific literature on omega-3 fatty acids is a full force area of knowledge. The Anglo-Saxon institutions dominate the scientific production and it is mainly oriented to the study of cardiovascular disease.