Re: Heart beats

[Guest guest]

Original Message A question I have for Butch is how much omega-3 fats are you taking? I wasdiagnosed with atrial fibrillation (afib)when I was about 25 years old -- Ihad two events where I fell down from lack of blood circulation. , I take 2-3 1000mg fish oil capsules a day depending on whether I'm including fish, especially salmon, in the menu for that day. The fish oil I use is supposed to have 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA per capsule. I also use walnut meal on my morning oatmeal and frequently incorporate walnut meal into other stuff, from homemade veggie burgers to pizza dough. I keep flax seed in the fridge but I probably don't use as much as I should - a tablespoon ground up here and there. I guess there was a stir caused by JAMA in 2005 when it published a study showing that "among patients with a recent episode of sustained

ventricular arrhythmia and an ICD [implantable cardioverter defibrillator], fish oil supplementation does not reduce the risk of VT/VF [ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation are types of arrhythmia] and may be pro-arrhythmic in some patients." You undoubtedly know a lot more about this than I do. A fish oil website noted in response that this study hasn't been duplilcated, involved an atypical population (often the case in these supplement studies), and that other studies showed fish oil was antiarrhythmic: ."These are the findings of five studies examining this issue, all published in the past two years: "A large body of evidence suggests that n-3 fatty acids from fish prevent fatal heart disease. They may be an effective and safe alternative to drug treatment for reducing the risk of arrhythmia and

sudden cardiac death." "The data indicate an antiarrhythmic action of n-3 PUFA under conditions of clinical practice which might help to explain the reduced incidence of fatal myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death in cohorts [groups] on a fish-rich diet or supplemented with n-3 PUFA." "This study first demonstrates that PUFA administration during hospitalization in patients undergoing CABG substantially reduced the incidence of postoperative AF [(atrial fibrillation, a common cardiac arrhythmia] (54.4%) and was associated with a shorter hospital stay." "Among elderly adults, consumption of tuna or other broiled or baked fish, but not fried fish or fish sandwiches, is associated with lower incidence of

AF (atrial fibrillation). Fish intake may influence risk of this common cardiac arrhythmia." "The available evidence still suggests that n-3 fatty acids may prevent fatal cardiac arrhythmia, but more conclusive studies are urgently needed. Butch __________________________________________________