A double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in Circulation (2005; 112(18): 2762–2768) examined 402 patients with implanted cardioverter-defibrillators. Participants received either a fish oil supplement providing 2.5 g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) per day or a placebo containing olive oil for one year.
Patients receiving fish oil experienced a significant reduction in episodes of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, along with a reduced risk of death from these arrhythmias. These findings suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may help stabilize cardiac electrical activity and reduce arrhythmia risk in high-risk patients.
Other nutrients involved in cardiac electrical stability, including magnesium and taurine, have also been studied in this context, suggesting that arrhythmia risk may be influenced by multiple nutritional factors.
