High levels of Vegetable Omega-3 may improve Prognosis in Patients With HF

Researchers have found in a new study that high levels of Vegetable Omega-3 may improve Prognosis in Patients With heart failure. Further the study found that Heart failure patients with bottom 25% alpha-linolenic acid in serum phospholipids had worse prognoses during mid-term follow-up.

The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.  

Heart failure cases impose a socioeconomic burden and there is a dire need for cost-effective strategies to promote quality of life in patients with heart failure. Previous literature reported the benefits of marine omega-3 fatty acids and plant-based dietary patterns in heart failure prognosis. Hence, researchers conducted a study to explore whether dietary alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the main plant omega-3, shows a better prognosis in HF.  Serum phospholipids reflect long-term dietary ALA intake and their metabolism. ALA was determined in serum phospholipids by gas chromatography in 905 ambulatory patients with HF caused by different etiologies. 

Results

• 140 all-cause deaths, 85 cardiovascular (CV) deaths, and 141 first HF hospitalizations (composite of all-cause death and first HF hospitalization, n = 238) were documented after a median follow-up of 2.4 years.
• Compared with patients at the lowest quartile of ALA in serum phospholipids (Q1), those at the 3 upper quartiles (Q2-Q4) exhibited a reduction in the risk of a composite of all-cause death and first HF hospitalization as observed in the Cox regression analysis.
• Statistically significant reductions were observed for all-cause death, CV death, first HF hospitalization, and the composite of CV death and HF hospitalization. 

This study throws light on who should be targeted for interventions. Any heart failure patient with the bottom 25% ALA levels in serum phospholipids at a mid-term follow-up will have the worst prognosis. Hence, they should be targeted for testing dietary ALA-rich interventions to promote quality of life. 

Further reading: Lázaro I, Lupón J, Cediel G, et al. Relationship of Circulating Vegetable Omega-3 to Prognosis in Patients With Heart Failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;80(18):1751-1758. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2022.08.771