Effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on post surgical atrial fibrillation: A prospective randomised study

在许多研究中，食用鱼和鱼油与心脏病死亡的保护作用有关。这些影响是一致的，而且相当强烈，似乎与血液中的胆固醇水平无关。这种影响更有可能是因为含有n-3种脂肪的鱼油可能会抑制可能导致心源性猝死的异常心率。动物研究已经证明了这一点，最近我们也表明，它们也可以抑制人类的异常心律。接受冠状动脉搭桥术的患者在手术后的几天内特别容易受到心脏上腔异常心律的影响。虽然这些异常节律很少会危及生命，但它们可能会导致术后并发症增加，住院时间延长，从而增加医疗系统的成本。在这项研究中，我们将确定在冠状动脉搭桥术前立即服用大剂量鱼油3周是否会减少手术后出现异常心律的患者比例。我们还将研究n-3脂肪对搭桥手术后其他并发症发生率和住院时间的影响。此外，我们还将收集数据，以深入了解n-3脂肪酸对心血管疾病患者产生良好效果的机制。这项研究的意义在于，它能够为心脏病提供一种保护策略，其中机制已被了解，这是有效的，而且重要的是，它将有可能通过减少住院时间为医疗保健系统提供节省。

Consumption of fish and fish oil has been associated with protective effects for deaths from heart disease in many studies. The effects are consistent and quite strong and appear to be unrelated to blood cholesterol levels. The effects are more likely due to the possibility that fish oil, which contains n-3 fats, can suppress abnormal heart rhythms which can cause 'sudden cardiac death'. This has been shown in animal studies, and recently we have shown that they can also suppress abnormal heart rhythms in humans. Patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery are particularly susceptible to abnormal heart rhythms in the upper chambers of the heart in the days immediately following surgery. While these abnormal rhythms are rarely life threatening, they can result in increased post-surgical complications and a longer hospital stay with associated increased costs to the health system. In this study we will determine whether providing high dose fish oil for 3 weeks immediately preceding coronary bypass surgery, will result in a reduction in the proportion of patients experiencing post-surgical abnormal heart rhythms. We will also examine the effects of n-3 fats on the incidence of other complications following bypass surgery and also the length of hospital stay. In addition, we will gather data which will provide insight into the mechanisms by which n-3 fatty acids produce their well documented benefits to patients with cardiovascular disease. The significance of this study is its ability to provide a protective strategy in heart disease in which the mechanism is understood, which is effective, and importantly, which will have the potential to provide savings to the health care system through a reduction in hospital stay.