High concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with the development of atrial fibrillation in the Japanese population.
The favorable effect of fish oils rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) is controversial. The relationship between the serum concentrations of n-3 PUFAs and the incidence of AF is unclear; therefore, in the present study, we aimed to elucidate this relationship. We evaluated the serum concentrations of n-3 PUFAs in 110 patients with AF, 46 patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and no AF, and 36 healthy volunteers. Thirty-six patients had a history of IHD (IHD-AF group) and 74 did not (L-AF group). The eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) levels in the L-AF group were higher than those in the IHD-AF and control groups (117 ± 64, 76 ± 30, and 68 ± 23 μg/ml, respectively); the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels showed the same pattern (170 ± 50, 127 ± 27, and 126 ± 35 μg/ml, respectively). In both the L-AF and IHD-AF groups, the EPA levels in patients with persistent and permanent AF were higher than those in patients with paroxysmal AF (L-AF 131 ± 74 vs. 105 ± 51 μg/ml; IHD-AF 82 ± 28 vs 70 ± 33 μg/ml). Multivariate analysis showed that cases of AF were associated with higher levels of EPA but not DHA. In this Japanese population study, the EPA and DHA levels in patients with L-AF were higher than those in normal subjects. In particular, the EPA level was associated with the incidence of AF. These findings suggest that an excess of EPA might be a precipitating factor of AF.
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan. ttomita@shinshu-u.ac.jp
Takeshi
T
Tomita
Takeki
T
Hata
Takahiro
T
Takeuchi
Yasutaka
Y
Oguchi
Ayako
A
Okada
Kazunori
K
Aizawa
Megumi
M
Koshikawa
Kyuhachi
K
Otagiri
Hirohiko
H
Motoki
Hiroki
H
Kasai
Atsushi
A
Izawa
Jun
J
Koyama
Minoru
M
Hongo
Uichi
U
Ikeda
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation
D015415:Biomarkers; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid