title: Omega-3 fatty acid ethyl esters increase heart rate variability in patients with coronary disease.
abstract: n-3 Fatty acids may reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death, a property potentially related to their activity on myocardial excitability. We carried out a cross-over trial in which 10 coronary patients were treated with n-3 ethyl esters at two different dosages (3 and 6 g day (-1)) for 4 weeks. Plasma fatty acid composition, lipid profile, and heart rate variability (HRV) were analysed. n-3 Fatty acid intake significantly reduced plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels and decreased the low to high frequency ratio. In addition, significant positive correlations were found between n-3 phospholipid content and HRV indices, thus confirming, in a prospective trial, retrospective data suggesting that an increased HRV may be achieved in coronary patients by exogenous provision of n-3 fatty acids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Centre E. Grossi Paoletti, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calabresi
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chiesa
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Risè
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: Cesare R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Sirtori
mesh_terms: D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001053:Apolipoproteins; C471808:Esapent; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D008074:Lipoproteins; D014280:Triglycerides