Omega-3 Fats Help With Irregular Heartbeat

by | Jul 9, 2012 | 2012, Cardiovascular Health, DHA, Diabetes, Fish Oil Supplements, Obesity, Omega - 3

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS.  Omega 3 reduced irregular heartbeat by 29%. 

Atrial Fibrillation is the most common chronic irregular heartbeat condition in adults (1) Its increased incidence in the United States is thought to be due to the continued increase in obesity and diabetes mellitus (2). Because the elderly population in the U.S. continues to increase, atrial fibrillation is expected to afflict 7.5 million Americans by 2050 (3) It has even been labeled “an emerging epidemic” in other developed countries like The United Kingdom (4). Because of its association with fatigue and reduced exercise tolerance, atrial fibrillation is also associated with a higher risk for stroke,  dementia, heart failure, and total mortality (5).

Now a new study (6) suggests that increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids may help with irregular heartbeat. In the study, researchers measured blood levels of three omega-3 fatty acids: EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), DPA (docosapentanoic acid) and  in 3,326 US men and women over 65 years of age and without any atrial fibrillation or heart failure. The patients were then followed up for the next 14 years (1992-2006), when 789 cases of atrial fibrillation were diagnosed.

By the end of the follow-up period, both total omega-3 fatty acid levels and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) levels showed a benefit for atrial fibrillation. Specifically, those with the highest 25% of total omega-3 fats levels had a 29% reduced risk of atrial fibrillation compared to those with the lowest 25% levels of the omega-3 fats (p < 0.001).  When looking at DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) levels, those in the highest 25% levels had a 23% reduced risk of atrial fibrillation compared to those in the lowest 25% levels (14.37 vs. 1.98% of blood fat content, p = 0.01). No benefits were seen with EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) or DPA (docosapentaenoic acid) levels for atrial fibrillation.

The researchers attributed omega-3 fats’ heart health benefits to their ability to helping maintain a healthy blood pressure (7), decrease heart rate (8), improve overall heart function (9) and possible anti-inflammatory effects (10). They went to conclude that “higher circulating total long-chain omega-3 fats and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) levels were associated with lower risk of atrial fibrillation in older adults.”

Source: Wu, Jason HY, et al. “Association of Plasma Phospholipid Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids With Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Older AdultsClinical Perspective.” Circulation 125.9 (2012): 1084-1093.

© 2012 American Heart Association, Inc.

Posted July 9, 2012.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.pitchingdoc.com

References:

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  2. Miyasaka Y, Barnes ME, Gersh BJ, Cha SS, Bailey KR, Abhayaratna WP, Seward JB, Tsang TS. Secular trends in incidence of atrial fibrillation in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1980 to 2000, and implications on the projections for future prevalence. Circulation. 2006;114:119 –125.
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  7. Geleijnse JM, Giltay EJ, Grobbee DE, Donders AR, Kok FJ. Blood pressure response to fish oil supplementation: metaregression analysis of randomized trials. J Hypertens.
  8. Mozaffarian D, Geelen A, Brouwer IA, Geleijnse JM, Zock PL, Katan MB. Effect of fish oil on heart rate in humans: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Circulation. 2005;112:1945–1952.2002;20:1493–1499.
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