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(Circulation. 2001;103:651.)
© 2001 American Heart Association, Inc.

Clinical Investigation and Reports

Marine n-3 Fatty Acids, Wine Intake, and Heart Rate Variability in Patients Referred for Coronary Angiography

Jeppe Hagstrup Christensen, MD; Helle Aarup Skou, MD; Lars Fog, MD; Vibeke Ellegaard Hansen, MD; Thomas Vesterlund, MD; Jørn Dyerberg, MD; Egon Toft, MD; Erik Berg Schmidt, MD

From the Department of Nephrology, Aalborg Hospital (J.H.C.), Aalborg, Denmark; Department of Medicine, Hjørring/Brønderslev Hospital (H.A.S., V.E.H., E.B.S.), Hjørring, Denmark; Department of Cardiology, Aalborg Hospital (L.F., T.V., E.T.), Aalborg, Denmark; and Medi-Lab (J.D.), Copenhagen, Denmark.

Correspondence to Jeppe Hagstrup Christensen, Department of Nephrology, Aalborg Hospital, PO Box 365, 9100 Aalborg, Denmark. E-mail jhc{at}dadlnet.dk

Background—Dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) derived from fish may reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD). In addition, wine drinking is suggested to have a protective effect against cardiovascular death.

Methods and Results—We included 291 patients referred for coronary angiography in whom ischemic heart disease was suspected and all of whom completed a food questionnaire regarding fish and wine intake. The n-3 PUFA composition of granulocyte membranes and of adipose tissue was measured. In addition, 24-hour heart rate variability (HRV) was analyzed. Fish intake was positively associated with the level of n-3 PUFAs in adipose tissue. Significant positive correlation coefficients were found between HRV indices and the levels of n-3 PUFAs in granulocytes. Wine intake was also significantly positively related to HRV, but the patients with the highest wine intake also had the highest intake of fish, as documented by a high n-3 PUFA content in adipose tissue. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that traditional factors such as treatment with ß-blockers, smoking, age, and previous myocardial infarction were independently related to HRV, and furthermore that n-3 PUFAs (but not wine intake) were significantly independently associated with HRV.

Conclusions—The close positive association between n-3 PUFAs and HRV in patients suspected of having ischemic heart disease may indicate a protective effect of n-3 PUFAs against SCD. This may partly explain the reduction in SCD observed in humans with a modest intake of n-3 PUFA. Wine intake was also positively correlated with HRV, but this correlation was no longer significant after controlling for the cellular level of n-3 PUFA.

Key Words: fatty acids • death, sudden • arrhythmia • nutrition • alcohol

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