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Associations Between Plasma Omega-3, Fish Oil Use and Risk of AF in the UK Biobank
Evan O'Keefe1, James H O'Keefe1, Nathan L Tintle2,3
1Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute and University of Missouri-Kansas City, 4401 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO 64111.
Medrxiv : the Preprint Server for Health Sciences
|April 16, 2025
Summary
Higher plasma omega-3 levels are linked to a reduced risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). Fish oil supplement use, however, showed no association with AF risk after adjusting for age.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nutritional Science
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Conflicting evidence exists regarding omega-3 fatty acids and atrial fibrillation (AF) risk.
- Some studies suggest fish oil supplement (FOS) use increases AF risk, while others indicate lower blood omega-3 levels correlate with higher AF risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between plasma omega-3 levels and incident AF.
- To examine the association between fish oil supplement use and AF risk.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational study using UK Biobank data.
- Linked plasma omega-3 levels and reported FOS use to AF incidence over a median follow-up of 12.7 years.
- Analyzed data from 261,108 participants for plasma omega-3 and 466,169 for FOS use, adjusting for confounders.
Main Results:
- Plasma omega-3 levels showed an inverse association with incident AF (HR per IQ5R = 0.90; HR in quintile 5 vs. 1 = 0.87).
- Fish oil supplement use was reported by 31% of participants.
- After adjusting for age, no significant association was found between FOS use and AF risk (HR = 1.00).
Conclusions:
- Higher circulating omega-3 levels are associated with a lower risk of developing AF.
- Fish oil supplement use does not appear to be associated with AF risk when age is appropriately accounted for.
