Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyResearch article
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Arrhythmias
- Narrative review
Authors' conclusion
The accumulated clinical evidence does not support supplementation of n-3 PUFA for postoperative AF or secondary prevention of AF.
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Pro- and antiarrhythmic effects of n-3 PUFAs
- Well-designed RCTs have largely not shown an antiarrhythmic benefit of n-3 PUFA
- Two trials of moderate and high-dose n-3 PUFA showed reduced SCD, not widely replicated; effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on arrhythmic death, combined or as monotherapy, uncertain
- Accumulated evidence does not support n-3 PUFA for postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) or secondary prevention of AF
- Several large contemporary RCTs of high-dose n-3 PUFA showed a small, significant, dose-dependent increased risk of incident AF vs mineral oil or corn oil, with icosapent ethyl monotherapy and mixed EPA+DHA
- Proarrhythmic mechanism of increased AF with high-dose n-3 PUFA unknown
Original publication
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Arrhythmias. Circulation. Published 5 August 2024. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.123.065769
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it