Omega-3 fatty acids and sudden arrhythmic death

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the primary cause of death in developed nations.
• In Canada, CVD accounted for 36% of all deaths in 1999, with ischemic heart disease (IHD) being the largest contributor.
• Myocardial infarction (MI) leads to two main complications: impaired myocardial function (congestive heart failure) and cardiac rhythm disturbances (ventricular fibrillation).

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the significant impact of ischemic heart disease on mortality.
• To differentiate the tracking and impact of congestive heart failure versus sudden cardiac death.
• To estimate the contribution of ventricular fibrillation to sudden cardiac death in IHD patients.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of administrative databases to track congestive heart failure mortality rates.
• Estimation of sudden cardiac death rates attributed to ventricular fibrillation in IHD patients.
• Review of mortality statistics for developed countries and Canada.

Main Results:

• Ischemic heart disease accounts for 20% of all deaths, with half due to acute myocardial infarction effects and the other half to late complications.
• Congestive heart failure has a tracked annual death rate of approximately 2.5% in Canada.
• Ventricular fibrillation is estimated to cause at least 25% of deaths in patients diagnosed with ischemic heart disease.

Conclusions:

• Myocardial infarction sequelae, including heart failure and ventricular fibrillation, are major contributors to cardiovascular mortality.
• Sudden death due to ventricular fibrillation is difficult to quantify but represents a substantial cause of mortality in IHD.
• Further research is needed to better quantify and address sudden cardiac death in the context of ischemic heart disease.