Omega-3 to reduce atrial fibrillation risk by 29%
Atrial fibrillation: 29% lower risk with Omega 3 supplements
High levels of Omega 3 reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation by 29%. Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of chronic arrhythmia among adults. There are limited therapies available to cope with this disease. Proving this is a study that appeared in Circulation, in which Dariuh Mozaffarian of the Harvard School of Public Health (Boston, USA) and his collaborators hypothesize that these fatty acids could be useful in preventing the disorder in the elderly.Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) would be the Omega-3 that would exert the greatest beneficial effect toward this disorder.
Omega-3 for heart health
Mozaffarian and colleagues set out to investigate the potential of Omega-3s in preventing this disorder. Years of research have shown that these nutrients are valuable allies in heart health. Specifically:
- keep blood fat levels under control
- They normalize blood pressure;
- They exert antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory actions;
- Reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack.
Atrial fibrillation: with fatty acids, the heartbeat is more regular
The research involved analysis of data on 3,326 U.S. men and women with an average age of 74 years. At the beginning of the study, none of the participants suffered from atrial fibrillation. During the research, scientists recorded the development of the condition in 789 individuals. Participants taking the highest levels of Omega-3 and DHA reduced the risk of going on to the disorder by 25 percent. Specifically, the researchers explained, for a 1 percent increase in Omega-3, the risk of atrial fibrillation decreased by 9 percent. The effect was specific to DHA, whileEPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DPA (docosapentaenoic acid) did not show the same benefits.
Omega-3 for prevention
Mozaffarian and colleagues pointed out that increasing average age of the population, incidence of atrial fibrillation, and limited choice of treatment are driving the need to test the effectiveness of Omega-3s as a preventive therapy. This use would be in addition to guidelines that recommend consuming 1 to 2 servings of fatty fish per week (about 250 milligrams Omega-3 daily) to prevent cardiovascular disease. According to experts in the field, an approach to help prevent atrial fibrillation would be important from both a quality-of-life and economic perspective for individuals.
