Omega-3 And Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is responsible for numerous deaths
in the U.S. and other countries around the world. It is not the
same as a heart attack. A heart attack normally occurs when advanced
atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries) slowly starves the
heart causing irreversible damage.
The heart finally cannot function properly and stops. Sudden
cardiac death occurs when the electrical impulses that control
heart function become erratic resulting in an irregular heartbeat
(arrhythmia). When the arrhythmia is severe enough the heart suddenly
stops, starving the brain of needed blood. Death often follows
quickly unless emergency care is administered immediately. Often
sudden cardiac death occurs when no other heart disease is detected.
It has long been understood that eating fish can reduce the likelihood
of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases. The reason?
Fish, especially cold-water fatty fish, is high in two omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).
These two fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA). Omega-3 has been shown to reduce the build-up of artery
clogging atherosclerosis and keep blood platelets from sticking
together thus reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
But more recent studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids also
have an effect on the dangerous arrhythmias that can cause sudden
cardiac death by regulating the impulses that control heart rhythm.
One study involved the use of mycocytes (cells that beat independently).
By adding the free fatty acids to these cells arrhythmias were
aborted. When the fatty acids were extracted from the mycocytes
the arrhythmias would reoccur thus indicating that omega-3 fatty
acids have a stabilizing effect on heart rhythm.
The apparent mechanism for controlling rhythm involved cell ion
channels, proteins that control the movement of sodium, calcium
and potassium ions across the membrane of the cell.
Another study, conducted by Danish researchers, examined the relationship
between heart rate variability and omega-3 fatty acids in healthy
subjects. It had already been determined that heart arrhythmias
could be positively impacted in patients who were recent heart
attack victims.
These researchers wanted to determine if people otherwise free
of heart disease could gain the same arrhythmia controlling benefits
from omega-3 fatty acids.
Sixty healthy adults were randomly divided into three groups.
The first group received daily supplements containing 6.6 g of
omega-3 (containing 3.0g EPA and 2.9g DHA). Group two received
2.0g of omega-3 (containing 0.9g EPA and 0.8g DHA).
The remaining group received only an olive oil placebo. The supplements
were given for 12 weeks. Before and after the supplements were
consumed heart rate variability and blood cell fatty acids were
measured.
It was found that heart rate variability was favorably influenced
by the amount of omega-3 consumed. In other words, the more omega-3
one consumed the higher the heart rate variability, especially
in men with low heart rate variability before supplementing.
The researchers concluded that omega-3 fatty acids positively
affected heart rate variability thus having a protective effect
on heart function. These finding were similar to those of earlier
studies showing that omega-3 positively affects heart rhythm in
patients who had suffered a previous heart attack.
Since sudden cardiac death is the result of erratic heart rhythm,
omega-3s heart protective qualities show great promise in the
fight against sudden cardiac arrest. The mechanical studies completed
by these and other researchers seemed to confirm other studies
that the oral ingestion of fish and fish oils provide prophylaxis
for the prevention of fatal cardiac arrhythmias when taken regularly
in small amounts.
In simple terms, consuming fish and fish oil supplements can
save lives.
http://www.optimal-heart-health.com/fishoils.html
http://www.optimal-heart-health.com/cardiacarrest.html
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