Biomaterial Database

Prevention of sudden cardiac death by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. 2007

Alexander Leaf

Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, USA. aleaf@partners.org

There were already several epidemiologic studies that showed eating fish frequently seemed to reduce deaths from coronary heart disease. There were also observational and clinical trials that more specifically showed that the reduction in cardiovascular deaths from eating fish was largely the result of the prevention of sudden cardiac death by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish oil. This led me to perform a clinical trial in which all subjects had an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator and were at very high risk of sudden cardiac death. The results of this study and the mechanisms by which n-3 fish oil fatty acids prevent fatal cardiac arrhythmias will be the subject of this review.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D005395	Fish Oils	Oils high in unsaturated fats extracted from the bodies of fish or fish parts, especially the LIVER. Those from the liver are usually high in VITAMIN A. The oils are used as DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS. They are also used in soaps and detergents and as protective coatings.	Fish Liver Oils,Fish Oil,Liver Oils, Fish,Oil, Fish,Oils, Fish,Oils, Fish Liver
D005399	Fishes	A group of cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrates having gills, fins, a cartilaginous or bony endoskeleton, and elongated bodies covered with scales.
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001145	Arrhythmias, Cardiac	Any disturbances of the normal rhythmic beating of the heart or MYOCARDIAL CONTRACTION. Cardiac arrhythmias can be classified by the abnormalities in HEART RATE, disorders of electrical impulse generation, or impulse conduction.	Arrhythmia,Arrythmia,Cardiac Arrhythmia,Cardiac Arrhythmias,Cardiac Dysrhythmia,Arrhythmia, Cardiac,Dysrhythmia, Cardiac
D015525	Fatty Acids, Omega-3	A group of unsaturated fatty acids occurring mainly in fish oils, with three double bonds at particular positions in the hydrocarbon chain.	N-3 Fatty Acid,Omega-3 Fatty Acid,Omega-3 Fatty Acids,n-3 Fatty Acids,n-3 Oil,n3 Oil,Omega 3 Fatty Acids,n-3 Oils,n-3 PUFA,n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid,n3 Fatty Acid,n3 Oils,n3 PUFA,n3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid,Acid, N-3 Fatty,Acid, Omega-3 Fatty,Fatty Acid, N-3,Fatty Acid, Omega-3,Fatty Acid, n3,N 3 Fatty Acid,Oil, n-3,Oil, n3,Omega 3 Fatty Acid,PUFA, n-3,PUFA, n3,n 3 Fatty Acids,n 3 Oil,n 3 Oils,n 3 PUFA,n 3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid
D016032	Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic	Works about clinical trials that involve at least one test treatment and one control treatment, concurrent enrollment and follow-up of the test- and control-treated groups, and in which the treatments to be administered are selected by a random process, such as the use of a random-numbers table.	Clinical Trials, Randomized,Controlled Clinical Trials, Randomized,Trials, Randomized Clinical
D016757	Death, Sudden, Cardiac	Unexpected rapid natural death due to cardiovascular collapse within one hour of initial symptoms. It is usually caused by the worsening of existing heart diseases. The sudden onset of symptoms, such as CHEST PAIN and CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS, particularly VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA, can lead to the loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest followed by biological death. (from Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, 7th ed., 2005)	Cardiac Sudden Death,Sudden Cardiac Death,Cardiac Arrest, Sudden,Sudden Cardiac Arrest,Arrest, Sudden Cardiac,Cardiac Arrests, Sudden,Cardiac Death, Sudden,Death, Cardiac Sudden,Death, Sudden Cardiac,Sudden Death, Cardiac
D019587	Dietary Supplements	Products in capsule, tablet or liquid form that provide dietary ingredients, and that are intended to be taken by mouth to increase the intake of nutrients. Dietary supplements can include macronutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats; and/or MICRONUTRIENTS, such as VITAMINS; MINERALS; and PHYTOCHEMICALS.	Food Supplements,Neutraceuticals,Dietary Supplementations,Food Supplementations,Herbal Supplements,Nutraceuticals,Nutriceuticals,Dietary Supplement,Food Supplement,Herbal Supplement,Neutraceutical,Nutraceutical,Nutriceutical,Supplement, Food,Supplement, Herbal,Supplementations, Dietary,Supplements, Dietary,Supplements, Food,Supplements, Herbal