Fish oil for paroxysmal AF

[Banjo12345]

Hi all

I have paroxysmal AF and am not on any medications. I am trialling lifestyle changes eg alcohol cessation, exercise etc. My Cardiologist suggested taking fish oil 1 tablet three times daily. Has anyone else tried this and found it beneficial in reducing frequency of episodes?

Thanks

[BobD Volunteer]

Is you cardiologist experienced in matters of AF? Many are not which is why we recommend seeing an electrophysiologist who is. Fish oil may well be beneficial to heart health but I can't see why it would help AF to be honest. My other concern would be what steps have you taken to rediuce stroke risk which is high with AF. What anticoagulatnt are you taking for example.

[Banjo12345 in reply to BobD]

Hi Bob thanks for your reply. Yes he is an electrophysiologist with >30 years experience. Here is a review article from 2016 summarising some of the data on fish oil:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Fish oil does however have a propensity for increasing bleeding which is important to note.

My CHADSVASC score is 0 so I’m not on any anticoagulation.

[CDreamer]

I think Bob said it all. I take Fish Oils but for my brain as much as my heart and it certainly will not help AF in the least. AF is an electrical malfunction - how on earth is Fish Oil supposed to help that?

When you have AF the most important thing to do is keep hydrated, keep anxiety at bay, sleep well and exercise moderately. It is also most important to keep your electrolytes balanced so foods rich in Magnesium, Potassium etc are essential. so I would recommend this site - written by a metabolic cardiologist. Many people take supplements and the most common are Magnesium and COQ10 - you read all about them here..

heartmdinstitute.com/heart-...

If you also look at the Nutrition and Recipes - loads of ideas and a lot of info and delicious recipes.

Another really useful site because they give information on the food content and why something is good for you.

thedoctorskitchen.com/about...

[Banjo12345 in reply to CDreamer]

Hi thanks for your reply. There have been a few randomised control trials in the last 10 years looking at fish oil in preventing AF with mixed efficacy. There have also been some trials in patients with ventricular arrhythmias.

I agree with your point about stress, treating OSA, exercise etc.

[CDreamer in reply to Banjo12345]

I think this statement said it all

Individual variability in response to fish oil administration, in terms of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in corporation into cell membranes, is responsible for controversial results of n-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids administration in patients suffering atrial fibrillation.

My GP surgery were part of a research project looking at Fish Oils as stroke prevention - there was no evidence that they helped.

My personal view is that we (EPs) included should not be looking or treating the dis ease but looking far more wholistically and people as individuals. I live by the sea - we eat oily fish x2 week so there is probably no good reason to take a supplement but for someone without access to very fresh fish I think fish oils are a good idea for general health & have been shown to be anti inflammatory- in a human - not in a lab.

I also have gut problems & have some difficulty absorbing short chain fatty acids but that can be microbiome as much as nutrition.

I can see the day when personalised medicine is normal and accessible but in the meantime we do the best we can.

Good luck with your lifestyle changes.

[CDreamer in reply to Banjo12345]

I wonder how you would know if you have prevented something? I can see that if you mind yourself well you are less likely to develop these conditions.

I work with several Lifestyle Doctors & a lot of how we develop and respond is determined by so many variables including genetics, environment & pathogen we encounter, life experiences and personality.

[LaceyLady]

I have and do take fish oil with a plant sterols, reputedly plant sterols lowers the cholesterol. I still got A Fib and SVT. Yes as others say, electrical malfunction. I’m not on anticoagulant because I was given Rivoxaban and too high Bisoprolol which made my BP go through the floor. My cardiologist said not to take it. Chads score was 1. Looked up fish oils - natural coagulation.

[wilsond in reply to LaceyLady]

Not sure how an anticoagulant affects BP...if you score on the Chadsvac system you should really be on them....imo...worth checking out

[LaceyLady in reply to wilsond]

I had been over dosed with 7mg Bisoprolol and 20mg Rivoxaban the interaction probably caused it. The leaflet in the Rivoxaban says to stop taking it. My cardiologists eyes disappeared over his head when he read the notes.

Different people react differently.

[JaneFinn]

Hi Banjo, yes my EP told me omega 3 fish oil is the only supplement he recommends to his patients to support healthy heart rhythm. He told me many years ago (when I had just svt and ectopics) that there is evidence it can have a positive effect on heart rhythm - and now I have AF he still recommends it.

Edit to add - I’m personally a believer in supplementing my magnesium, and I think what CDreamer wrote above is really good advice which I intend to follow myself! But I was just letting you know what my EP says

[Tryfan]

I used to take fish oil. While taking it I didnt have an episode. I've stopped taking it so far no episode. Reason I have stopped, there is good evidence for blokes, that fish Oil increases risk of Prostate Cancer. It may be the oil itself or could be the trace metals found in fish oil.

Seems you can't win.

History of prostate cancer in family. You can I'm told take the omega 3 element from fish oil in another form from vegetable or seaweed. But looks very expensive compared to fish.