title: Fish oil and other nutritional adjuvants for treatment of congestive heart failure.
abstract: Published clinical research, as well as various theoretical considerations, suggest that supplemental intakes of the 'metavitamins' taurine, coenzyme Q10, and L-carnitine, as well as of the minerals magnesium, potassium, and chromium, may be of therapeutic benefit in congestive heart failure. High intakes of fish oil may likewise be beneficial in this syndrome. Fish oil may decrease cardiac afterload by an antivasopressor action and by reducing blood viscosity, may reduce arrhythmic risk despite supporting the heart's beta-adrenergic responsiveness, may decrease fibrotic cardiac remodeling by impeding the action of angiotensin II and, in patients with coronary disease, may reduce the risk of atherothrombotic ischemic complications. Since the measures recommended here are nutritional and carry little if any toxic risk, there is no reason why their joint application should not be studied as a comprehensive nutritional therapy for congestive heart failure.
authors: Nutrition 21, San Diego, CA 92109, USA.
authors: M F
authors: MF
authors: McCarty
mesh_terms: D002331:Carnitine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002857:Chromium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003067:Coenzymes; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008274:Magnesium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008903:Minerals / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008954:Models, Biological; D011188:Potassium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013654:Taurine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D003067:Coenzymes; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005395:Fish Oils; D008903:Minerals; D014815:Vitamins; D002857:Chromium; D014451:Ubiquinone; D013654:Taurine; C024989:coenzyme Q10; D008274:Magnesium; D011188:Potassium; D002331:Carnitine