Fish oil and arrhythmias
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
"For individuals at high risk of fatal ventricular arrhythmias, regular daily ingestion of fish oil fatty acids may significantly reduce fatal ventricular arrhythmias," a study published in the Nov. 1 Circulation concludes. The randomized, double-blind trial followed 402 patients with implantable cardioverter/defibrillators who were at high risk for fatal ventricular arrhythmias for 12 months. Subjects were given either a 2.5 g EPA plus DHA pill daily or an olive oil control. The primary endpoint was time to first event for ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, and events were confirmed by an electrophysiology lab at one of the 18 participating medical centers. Analysis showed "a trend toward longer time to first event in those randomized to the fish oil supplement," Alexander Leaf, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, et al., state. "When probable events were added to the analysis, the risk reduction became significant," they add...