Staying Healthy
Fish oil does not prevent irregular heart rhythms after surgery
In another strike against fish oil supplements for cardiac health, taking omega-3 fatty acid before heart surgery did not help prevent a common irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation, according to research in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study included over 1,500 people in the United States, Italy, and Argentina who were slated for heart surgery. Atrial fibrillation happens in one-third of people after cardiac surgery, and previous research suggested that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil might prevent this irregular rhythm.
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