Study
Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake on Circulating Biomarkers of Atrial Fibrillation-Related Pathways in the PREDIMED-Plus Study.
Among 510 older adults with metabolic syndrome, total omega-3 intake was not linked to five AF-related biomarkers over 5 years.
Summary Does eating more omega-3 reduce signs linked to irregular heart rhythms? Show / hide ↓
Researchers followed 510 older adults in Spain with metabolic syndrome, a group of health problems including excess weight, high blood pressure, and abnormal blood sugar. They estimated people’s usual omega-3 intake from food questionnaires and measured five blood markers linked to atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm, over five years. Total omega-3 intake was not linked to changes in any of the markers. People eating more omega-3 from fish and seafood had higher levels of one marker at the start, but this difference did not last, and another isolated finding linked moderate non-fish omega-3 intake to a lower marker level after five years.
What this means for you: This study does not show that eating more omega-3 protects against irregular heart rhythms. It was not a test of omega-3 supplements, and it measured blood markers rather than atrial fibrillation itself, so it should not guide you to buy omega-3 products.
weak evidenceThis analysis used 510 older Spanish adults with metabolic syndrome from PREDIMED-Plus. It examined whether reported habitual omega-3 intake tracked five serum markers related to atrial-fibrillation pathways over 5 years: NT-pro-BNP, high-sensitivity troponin T, C-reactive protein, PICP and 3-nitrotyrosine. Intake was estimated with a validated 143-item food-frequency questionnaire, and markers were measured at baseline and after 3 and 5 years.
Median total omega-3 intake was 2.0 g/day. Total intake was not associated with any of the five biomarkers either at baseline or longitudinally. Marine omega-3 intake was associated cross-sectionally with 28.4% higher 3-nitrotyrosine in the highest versus lowest intake tertile, with a 95% confidence interval of 5.5% to 56.2% and a trend p-value of 0.014. That relationship was not present longitudinally. Moderate baseline non-marine omega-3 intake was associated with lower PICP after 5 years, but the association was isolated and non-linear.
This was an observational diet analysis, not a randomised omega-3 supplementation test. It measured biomarkers rather than atrial fibrillation itself. The overall result does not support a consistent relationship between usual total omega-3 intake and these proposed pathways.
Habitual total omega-3 intake was not associated with circulating biomarkers of atrial-fibrillation-related pathways.
Diet was self-reported and the analysis was observational, so it cannot establish a supplementation effect. The outcomes were mechanistic biomarkers rather than atrial fibrillation or other clinical events.
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