Omega-3 fatty acids and prevention of arrhythmias.
OBJECTIVE
There is now a considerable factual basis from laboratory and clinical trials that omega-3 fatty acids of fish oil will prevent fatal arrhythmias in animals and humans and this is the focus of the review.


RESULTS
Several recent trials in humans have strengthened the evidence that omega-3 fatty acids may prevent arrhythmias although this has not been a uniform finding.


CONCLUSIONS
Since there are at present some 400 000 deaths annually in the US alone and millions more worldwide, what has been learned about the antiarrhythmic actions of omega-3 fatty acids has considerable potential public-health benefit.
Leaf
Alexander
A
Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. aleaf@partners.org
D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005395:Fish Oils; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic
D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils