Omega-3 PUFA protection against recurrent atrial fibrillation

Patients at high risk of relapse after electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) are more likely to stay in sinus rhythm if they take an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty-acid (PUFA) supplement on top of standard antiarrhythmic therapy, suggests a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with a yearlong follow-up presented at American College of Cardiology 2010 Scientific Sessions. Those taking omega-3 PUFAs in the study--they'd been on them for a month before attempted cardioversion--also required fewer shocks and lower shock energies for successful cardioversion. In multivariate analyses, add-on omega-3 PUFA therapy was associated with a 57% reduced risk of AF recurrence after cardioversion, with a hazard ratio of 0.43 (95% CI 0.28–0.67). The benefit was independent of age, AF duration, and whether the patient had diabetes.