According to researchers reporting in the October 2006 issue of "QJM International Journal of Medicine," the hypothesis that omega-3s may benefit heart fluttering entered the scientific mainstream during the late 1960s. Since then, evidence has grown in support of the theory. Certain types of heart flutters are the most common cause of sudden unexpected death in apparently healthy people as well as those with established heart disease.
About Heart Fluttering
According to the Cleveland Clinic website, heart flutters are a palpitation caused by an electrical misfiring that produces a fluttering sensation. The misfiring causes the heart chambers to beat irregularly resulting in a condition diagnosed as arrhythmia. There are many types of arrhythmias and to diagnose the specific type, a patient needs to be monitored by an ECG machine at the time of the palpitation. In general though, a heart flutter is medically known as an atrial flutter. While most are harmless, you must see your doctor immediately if flutters are accompanied by dizziness, fainting or shortness of breath.
Sudden Cardiac Death
Most of the associations made between omega-3s and heart palpitations were deduced from analyses of sudden cardiac death, or SCD, in patient populations with known heart disease. Medical researchers noted that patients ingesting large amounts of omega-3s had a proportionate decrease in risk of SCD. The observation has profound meaning for people experiencing heart palpitations because a particular type diagnosed as ventricular arrhythmias account for approximately 90 percent of SCDs. According to an article published in the September 2007 issue of "Circulation," high blood levels of omega-3s reduced SCD risk between 80 and 90 percent.
How Omega-3s Help
Scientists reporting in the August 2009 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology" examined the question of how omega-3s work to alleviate heart palpitations. The explanation lies in the electrical activity of the heart. There are two primary pathways through which electrical signals responsible for regulating heartbeat must pass. They're known as voltage-dependent sodium channels and L-type calcium channels. Omega-3s appear to prevent fatal arrhythmias by their ability to inhibit the action of these channels. In effect, omega-3s change negative electrical charges into positive ones and neutralize electrical signals that would otherwise cause an arrhythmia.
Anti-arrhythmic Effects
Researchers reporting in the August 2006 issue of the "American Journal of Cardiology" hypothesized that omega-3s' ability to inhibit palpitations is the source of all cardioprotective effects from fish consumption and fish oil therapy. They point to the fact that omega-3s reduce SCD risk through anti-arrhythmic actions before they have a chance to impact blood lipid profiles. Heart attacks are essentially an electrical problem unaffected by cholesterol and triglyceride levels, making lipid levels moot in the presence of electrical misfiring. No matter what, it's important to talk to your doctor before deciding if omega-3s are right for you.
References
- "QJM: An International Journal of Medicine; Sudden Cardiac Death: the Lost Fatty Acid Hypothesis; Michael Oliver; October 2006
- Cleveland Clinic: Arrhythmia: Types
- "Circulation"; Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cardiac Arrhythmias: Prior Studies and Recommendations for Future Research; Barry London et al.; September 2007
- "Journal of the American College of Cardiology"; Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Diseases; Carl Lavie et al.; August 2009
- "The American Journal of Cardiology"; Antiarrhythmic Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids; James Reiffel and Arline McDonald; August 2006
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