title: Association between n-3 fatty acid consumption and ventricular ectopy after myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  n-3 (omega-3) Fatty acids are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease; however, the relation between dietary intake of n-3 fatty acids and ventricular arrhythmias has not been investigated among acute post-myocardial infarction (AMI) patients-a group at elevated risk of malignant arrhythmias.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to examine the association between n-3 fatty acid consumption and ventricular ectopy among AMI patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 260 AMI patients, dietary intake of n-3 fatty acids was assessed by using the Harvard food-frequency questionnaire, and ventricular ectopy was estimated from 24-h electrocardiograph recordings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A greater intake of n-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid + docosapentaenoic acid + alpha-linolenic acid) was associated with lower ventricular ectopy (beta = -0.35, P = 0.011), and this effect remained after cardiovascular comorbidities were controlled for (beta = -0.47, P = 0.003). Higher concentrations of both marine-based (eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid) (beta = -0.21, P = 0.060) and plant-based (alpha-linolenic acid) (beta = -0.33, P = 0.024) fatty acids remained associated with lower ventricular ectopy after cardiovascular comorbidities were controlled for.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings extend existing evidence linking n-3 fatty acid consumption to a reduced risk of ventricular arrhythmias by showing that a greater intake of n-3 fatty acids may be associated with low ventricular ectopy among AMI patients.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Blumenthal
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Babyak
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Georgiades
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sherwood
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sketch
authors.forename: Lana L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Watkins