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Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation Reduced With Alpha-Linolenic Acid-Enriched Diet: Presented at DALM

By Crina Frincu-Mallos, PhD

NEW YORK, NY -- October 17, 2007 -- Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) may reduce the recurrence of atrial fibrillation, according to researchers reporting at the XVI International Symposium on Drugs Affecting Lipid Metabolism (DALM).

Dominique Lanzmann-Petithory, MD, PhD, Physician Practitioner in Public Health, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Emile Roux Hospital, Paris, France, and colleagues randomised a total of 111 patients in a controlled efficacy study. Fifty-three patients were started on an ALA-rich diet in which they were instructed to replace any other fats and oils with canola margarine and canola oil (1.4 g/day ALA omega 3 fatty acid). Forty-five patients continued to eat their usual diet.

Fasting blood samples and 24-hour dietary recalls were collected at enrollment, and at 2, 6 and 12 months, or until the recurrence of atrial fibrillation.

Data from 40 patients in the ALA group (mean BMI 28+- 4.7 kg/m²) and 35 control patients (mean BMI 27.4+- 4.1 kg/m²) demonstrate that the shorter chain omega-3 vegetable fatty-acid ALA may reduce the recurrence of atrial fibrillation, noted Dr. Lanzmann-Petithory.

The Kaplan-Meier Survival curves for atrial-fibrillation recurrence during the year demonstrated that recurrence was significantly less prone to occur in patients on the ALA treatment (OR 2.15, P =.037). The survival rate was 25.52% in the control group versus 63.09% in the ALA group at the end of the 12-month period.

"The present preliminary study provides support for further exploration of the use of ALA in the reduction of cardiovascular risk," said the researchers.

Since the levels of ALA intake in Western populations are much lower than the advised 1.5 g/day (for men) and 1.3 g/day (for women), these results are particularly relevant for this patient population, the researchers concluded.

Cardiac arrhythmia and ventricular fibrillation are usually responsible for sudden cardiac death following an infarction, and the prevention of life-threatening arrhythmic events is a problem researchers have already started to tackle using a nutritional approach -- especially after the Lyon Diet Heart Study demonstrated that ALA reduced fatal and non-fatal cardiac events.

This study took place at three university hospital centers in the Bordeaux region of France.


[Presentation title: Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence With an alpha-Linolenic Acid-Enriched Diet: A Randomized Study. Abstract 439]

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