Omega‐3 Fatty Acids for the Prevention of Myocardial Infarction and Arrhythmias

Impact of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in predicting ischemia/reperfusion injury and progression of myocardial damage after reperfusion in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction

“…N-3 PUFAs might inhibit the L-type Ca 2+ current, thereby reducing the cytosolic Ca 2+ fluctuations that trigger arrhythmias, and the voltage-dependent Na + current that decreases the resting membrane potential. Additionally, n-3 PUFAs ameliorate ischemia-induced shortening of monophasic action potential, followed by suppression of prolonged QT interval, particularly in the setting of acute ischemia, that is a multi-channel blocker [25,26]. Second, n-3 PUFAs might improve autonomic function, especially related to augmentation of vagal activity or tone [24], which increased the threshold of VF.…”

Polyunsaturated fatty acid‐derived IKs channel activators shorten the QT interval ex‐vivo and in‐vivo

“…Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been put forward as anti-arrhythmic compounds 18 . The American Heart Association recommends intake of fish rich in PUFAs, particularly in individuals with cardiovascular problems 19 . However, results from both basic research and clinical trials have been mixed with some studies showing clear positive effects of PUFAs on cardiovascular parameters, while other trials showed no significant effect and some basic research showed even pro-arrhythmic effects [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] .…”

“…The American Heart Association recommends intake of fish rich in PUFAs, particularly in individuals with cardiovascular problems 19 . However, results from both basic research and clinical trials have been mixed with some studies showing clear positive effects of PUFAs on cardiovascular parameters, while other trials showed no significant effect and some basic research showed even pro-arrhythmic effects [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] . These divergent results could be due to several factors, including the heterogeneity of the patients (or animal models), small patient populations in some studies, and potential differences in the efficacy of PUFAs for different types of arrhythmias (triggered versus re-entry) 23,26 .…”

“…These divergent results could be due to several factors, including the heterogeneity of the patients (or animal models), small patient populations in some studies, and potential differences in the efficacy of PUFAs for different types of arrhythmias (triggered versus re-entry) 23,26 . In addition, most of these studies did not measure the blood levels of PUFAs to determine their bioavailability 19 . A large prospective cohort study that measured blood levels of PUFAs found that there was a strong inverse correlation of mortality from cardiac arrhythmias and blood levels of PUFAs: the highest quintile had 45% less chance of dying from cardiac arrhythmias compared to the lowest quintile 27 .…”