Diet and Atrial Fibrillation: Does a-Linolenic Acid, A Plant Derived Essential Fatty Acid, Have An Impact?

M any studies in the past 50 years have shown thatdietary lipids can modulate the progression of coro-nary artery disease, heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmogen-esis. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are small biologically active lipid molecules that serve as a substrate for metabolic activity, cellular signals, and as precursors for signaling molecules such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes, etc. Small structural changes between PUFAs, especially with respect to chain length and the number and position of double bonds have a significant impact on their biological activities.1 PUFAs can modulate ion channel activity, cardiac myocyte contractility and Ca2+ cycling, and cell survival in response to ischemia or mechanical stress. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that dietary consumption of fatty fish (salmon, sardines, and herring) lowers the risk of incident atrial fibrillation (AF).2 Fish oil contains a complex mi