- In keeping with heart health month, we wanted to bring some promising news to you.
- Omega-3s are clinically proven to reduce the risk of “sudden cardiac death.
- Sudden cardiac death (SCD) usually occurs because a person’s heart rhythms go awry, causing the heart to stop pumping. The immediate cause of SCD can be an episode of atrial fibrillation or A-fib.
- Some research suggests that people who eat fish on a regular basis can lower risk of developing atrial fibrillation.
- Accordingly, it’s been widely presumed that omega-3s curb the risk by normalizing heart rhythms and there is substantial evidence to back this idea.
- A new study from the Harvard School of Public Health indicates that DHA – one of two major omega-3s in fish oil, along with EPA – may help prevent A-fib.
- Omega-3 DHA is concentrated in heart muscles’ cell membranes, and there’s some evidence that adding more – from dietary fish or fish oil – helps keep these cells on an even rhythmic keel.
- An unusually reliable study in more than 3,000 Americans found that who had the highest total omega-3 or omega-3 DHA blood levels were about 30 percent less likely to develop A-fib.
- Senior author Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., expressed the important implications of his team’s finding: “A 30 percent lower risk of the most common chronic arrhythmia in the United States population is a pretty big effect.”
- Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of heart arrhythmia, affecting up to nine percent of U.S. adults by the time they reach age 80.
- REFERENCES:
- 1. “The Role of Fish Oil in Arrhythmia Prevention.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar.-Apr. 2008. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.
2. “Omega-3 Fatty Acid: A Role in the Management of Cardiac Arrhythmias?” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2008. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.3.”Anti-arrhythmic Properties of N-3 Poly-unsaturated Fatty Acids (n-3 PUFA).” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.4. “Antiarrhythmic Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2006. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.5. “Serum Long-chain N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Risk of Hospital Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation in Men.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2009. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.
