Cardiology

Omega-3 can save your life

This fall, a group of 20 heart attack survivors are dining on Mediterranean cuisine. For three months, their menu consists of fish at least twice a week as well as other sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Five to 10 portions of fruits and vegetables a day are also served up because of their antioxidant properties, as well as plenty of olive oil. The research subjects don’t eat more than two portions of red meat a week, abstain from butter and are only allowed a small quantity of cream. There are no restrictions on poultry.

According to cardiologist Anil Nigam, this kind of diet, rich in omega-3 and antioxidants, can significantly reduce the risk of sudden-death heart attacks. At least to the same extent as the benefits of a daily intake of Aspirin or other medications known for their preventive effects. “Sticking to a Mediterranean diet is one of the best ways to prevent a fatal heart attack,” says Dr. Nigam, Université de Montréal Professor of Medicine who works out of the Montreal Heart Institute.

Fatal heart attacks, which claim the lives of victims less than one hour after the onset of the first symptoms, cause 35,000 to 40,000 deaths in Canada each year. Dr. Nigam calls it the silent killer because it strikes people who don’t realize that they have underlying coronary heart disease. And yet, in most cases, their condition is due to very conscious life choices such as smoking, lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet. “In medicine and cardiology, there is a great deal of emphasis on medication, and very little on lifestyle,” explains the 37-year-old doctor who has a marked interest in non-pharmaceutical approaches. The goal of Dr. Nigam’s current research project is to demonstrate how a particular diet can prevent fatal heart attacks, e ven more effectively than medication.

The study, conducted in collaboration with Stephen Kopecky of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, includes a second group of patients who consume a standard North American diet relatively high in omega-6 fatty acids (found in vegetable oils, sunflower oil and corn oil). But don’t be fooled by their similar names. In fact, these two fatty acids have little in common: omega-3 has anti-thrombotic and anti-inflammatory benefits while omega-6 has the opposite effect. In addition, omega-3 is soothing on the autonomous nervous system, which is the part of the brain that regulates our internal organs, including the heart.

The goal of the study is to gain a better understanding of the heart’s pathological mechanisms, particularly arrhythmia and abnormal heart rhythm problems that cause sudden-death heart attacks. The project is based on two previous studies that were published in 1999. In the first, 11,000 Italians, half of whom had taken omega-3 supplements, were followed. The second study focused on 400 patients in the region of Lyon on a Mediterranean diet. The results were spectacular. In both cases, fewer fatal heart attacks occurred in the groups that had consumed omega-3 fatty acids.

In the Quebec study, Dr. Nigam will monitor the patient’s heart health and autonomous nervous system. If all goes well, a larger, continent-wide study may be on the horizon.