The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7355 p785
25 June 2005

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Fish oil may increase risk of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with implantable defibrillators, say researchers

Fish oil supplementation does not reduce the risk of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) and may increase risk in some patients, new data suggest (JAMA 2005;293:2884).

Researchers studied 200 patients with an ICD and a recent episode of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF). Patients were randomised to receive fish oil 1.8g per day (72 per cent omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) or placebo for a median of 718 days.

At 12 months, the ICD had delivered therapy for VT or VF in 51 per cent of patients in the fish oil group compared with 41 per cent in the placebo group.

The researchers say that their findings are surprising given evidence suggesting that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce cardiovascular mortality via an antiarrhythmic effect. “The routine use of fish oil supplementation in patients with ICDs and recurrent ventricular arrhthymias should be avoided,” they conclude.