Studies of the Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation by ALA

University of Toronto

Status and phase

Unknown

Phase 2

Conditions

Atrial Fibrillation

Diet Therapy

Treatments

Procedure: ALA rich diet

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT00410839

99-04 (CPPRB Bordeaux B)

Details and patient eligibility

About

An alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) rich diet in the Lyon Heart Study reduced sudden cardiac deaths possibly by reducing cardiac arrhythmias and ventricular fibrillation (Lancet 1994). Since then, there has been a growing interest in ALA as a cardioprotective nutrient. Much of the interest has focused on the potential antiarrhythmic effect of ω-3 fatty acids, especially the longer chain ω-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA, derived from fish. We therefore concluded it important to test whether the shorter chain ω-3 vegetable oil ALA also had antiarrhythmic effects, since this might also explain the beneficial effects seen on cardiovascular mortality in the Lyon Heart Study.

Full description

Objective: We determined the effect of an ALA rich diet in reducing recurrence of atrial fibrillation as a further example of a cardiac arrhythmia.

Design: Randomized parallel design efficacy study. Setting: Three university hospital centers in the Bordeaux region, France. Patients: 98 successive patients successfully underwent electro cardioversion of whom 75 completed the study without major deviations according to the protocol.

Intervention: A canola margarine and oil together with a Mediterranean diet (ALA ω-3, 1.4 g/d) versus a conventional diet (control), with a one year follow-up.

Main outcome measure: Length of time to first recurrence of atrial fibrillation.

Significance: If ALA is antiarrhythmic this action may explain its cardioprotective effect in clinical trials and cohort studies.

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 77 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

patients hospitalized in one of the three centers in the Bordeaux region, and who subsequently underwent successful electrocardioversion for atrial fibrillation.

Exclusion criteria

included patients who were unable to receive electrocardioversion or those who were already enrolled in another trial
patients who were unable or unwilling to comply with the diet recommendations (experimental or control) or follow-up requirements
patients with clinically significant cardiac disease, advanced heart failure, cardiac cachexia, thyroid disease, treated or untreated, clinically significant hepatic or renal disease or a history of malignant disease or alcohol abuse were not included
Taking ALA rich foods or recording intakes of ALA >2g/d on the control diet or reporting using <1g/d on the ALA diet was considered a major deviation from the protocol.