Omega-3 fatty acids and prevention of arrhythmias

Current Opinion in Lipidology

Volumn 18, Issue 1, 2007, Pages 31-34

  Leaf, Alexander ^a,b  

^a MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL   (United States)

^b NONE   (United States)

Author keywords

Epidemiology; Fish oil; n 3 fatty acids; Omega 3 fatty acids; Ventricular arrhythmias

Indexed keywords

OMEGA 3 FATTY ACID; PLACEBO;

CLINICAL TRIAL; DISEASE PREDISPOSITION; HEART ARRHYTHMIA; HEART ATRIUM FIBRILLATION; HEART PROTECTION; HUMAN; MORTALITY; PRIORITY JOURNAL; REVIEW; UNITED STATES;

ARRHYTHMIA; FATTY ACIDS, OMEGA-3; FISH OILS; GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO DISEASE; HUMANS; META-ANALYSIS;

ANIMALIA;

EID: 33846180976     PISSN: 09579672     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/MOL.0b013e328012d61b     Document Type: Review

References (17)

1. Dyerberg J, Bang HO, Stofferson E, et al. Eicosapentaenoic acid and prevention of thrombosis and atherosclerosis? Lancet 1978; 2:117-119.
2. McLennan PL. Relative effects of dietary saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids on cardiac arrhythmias in rats. Am J Clin Nutr 1993; 57:207-212.
3. Billman GE, Hallaq H, Leaf A. Prevention of ischemia-induced arrhythmias by n-3 fatty acids. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1994; 91:4427-4430.
4. Billman GE, Kang JX, Leaf A. Prevention of ischemia-induced cardiac sudden death by pure n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Circulation 1999; 99:2452-2457.
5. Mozaffarian D, Prineas RJ, Stein PK, Siscovick DS. Dietary fish and n-3 fatty acid intake and electrocardiographic parameters in humans. J Am Coll Cardiol 2006; 48:478-484. This study shows that with simple ECG measurements the electrophysiology of the ischemic myocardium can be demonstrated. In this article Mozaffarian et al. were able to demonstrate that in some cases with ischemic myocardium reentrant fatal arrhythmia may occur and that omega-3 fatty acids can exert beneficial protection.
6. Iso H, Kobayashi M, Ishihara J, et al. Intake of fish and n-3 fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease among Japanese. Circulation 2006; 113:195-202. A large Japanese population study suggesting that the strong protective effect of eating fish on reduction of nonfatal coronary events was more powerful for the calculated omega-3 intake than the amount of fish eaten.
7. Mozaffarian D, Geelen A, Brouwer IA, et al. Effect of fish oil on heart rate in humans: a meta-analysis of randomized control trials. Circulation 2006; 112:1945-1952. This paper shows in large population studies that consumption of omega-3 fatty acids from fish leads to lower heart rates that translates into lesser risk.
8. Dalongeville J, Yarnell J, Ducimetiere P, et al. Fish consumption is associated with lower heart rates. Circulation 2003; 108:820-825.
9. Wang C, Harris WS, Chung M, et al. n-3 Fatty acids from fish or fish-oil supplements, but not a-linolenic acid, benefit cardiovascular disease outcomes in primary- and secondary- prevention studies: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr 2006; 84:5-17. An excellent systematic review of the benefits of fish oil in prevention of adverse cardiovascular events.
10. Goyen LL, Spilker ME, Zock PL, et al. Conversion of a-linolenic acid in humans is influenced by the absolute amounts of a-linolenic and oleic acid in the diet and not by their ratio. Am J Clin Nutr 2006; 84:44-53. Demonstration that background dietary omega-6 may not adversely affect the activity of omega-3 fatty acids.
11. Hooper L, Thompson RL, Harrison RA, et al. Risks and benefits of omega 3 fats for mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review. BMJ 2006; 332:752-760.
12. Deckelbaum RJ, Akabas SR. n-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease: navigating toward recommendations: an Editorial. Am J Clin Nutr 2006; 84:1-2. A valuable editorial that evaluates recent trials and population studies and concludes with a strong recommendation for the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids for cardiovascular prevention.
13. Raitt MH, Connor WE, Morris C, et al. Fish oil supplementation and risk of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation in patients with implantable defibrillators. JAMA 2005; 293:2884-2891. One of three very recent papers on the antiarrhythmic potential of omega-3 fatty acids and the only one to conclude a possible adverse effect. Possibly reflects the relatively high baseline prevalence of cardiac failure among the patients.
14. Brouwer IA, Zock PL, Camm AJ, et al., for the SOFA Group. Effect of fish oil on ventricular tachycardia and death in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators. JAMA 2006; 295:2613-2619. Neutral finding may reflect that the benefits of ω-3 fish oil fatty acids may be prevented by competing dietary plant seed ω-6 fatty acids that does not appear to have been considered in this study.
15. Leaf A, Albert CM, Josephson M, et al. Fatty Acid Antiarrhythmia Trial Investigators. Prevention of fatal arrhythmias in high-risk subjects by fish-oil n-3 fatty acid intake. Circulation 2005; 112:2762-2768. The best and largest of the three ICD studies that shows a very likely probability of a beneficial effect of omega-3 fatty acids although the primary end-point just failed to reach significance.
16. Calo L, Bianconi L, Colivicchi F, et al. N-3 fatty acids for the prevention of atrial fibrillation after coronary bypass surgery. A randomized controlled trial. J Am Coll Cardiol 2005; 45:1723-1728. This paper showed that omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation.
17. Mozaffarian D, Psaty BM, Rimm EB, et al. Fish intake and risk of incident atrial fibrillation. Circulation 2004; 110:368-373.