What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Observational. Population: Atrial Fibrillation (n=9178). Intervention: Plasma EPA+DHA levels vs. Lowest quartile (Q1). Primary outcome: Prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.54-0.81, p=<0.001).

What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to clarify the relationship between plasma levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and atrial fibrillation.

May 21, 2026Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis0 citationsOpen Access

Association Between Plasma Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acid Levels and Atrial Fibrillation: A Large-Scale, Real-World Retrospective Study in Japan

Q: What are the key findings of this study?

Higher plasma levels of EPA+DHA (highest vs lowest quartile) were significantly associated with a lower prevalence of atrial fibrillation (OR 0.66).

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

Higher plasma levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA and DHA) are significantly associated with a lower prevalence of atrial fibrillation. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Q: What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to clarify the relationship between plasma levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and atrial fibrillation.

NYNaotake Yanagisawa KFKazutoshi Fujibayashi TMTetsuro Miyazaki

Key Result

Higher plasma levels of EPA+DHA (highest vs lowest quartile) were significantly associated with a lower prevalence of atrial fibrillation (OR 0.66).

Key Points

This study aims to clarify the relationship between plasma levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and atrial fibrillation.
Retrospective analysis of plasma levels of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids
Focused on specific fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), arachidonic acid (AA), and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA)
Population includes individuals diagnosed with atrial fibrillation
Higher plasma levels of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with a lower prevalence of atrial fibrillation
Elevated levels of omega-6 fatty acids show no significant correlation with AF prevalence

Study Design

Type

Observational (n=9,178)

Multicenter

Structured PICO

Are higher plasma levels of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids associated with a lower prevalence of atrial fibrillation?

Population

9,178 outpatients and inpatients at Juntendo University Hospital (Japan) with dyslipidemia, atherosclerotic disease, or suspected atherosclerosis, median age 69 years, 60.6% male. Excluded: age <40 years, prescribed icosapent ethyl or other omega-3 FA ethyl esters.

Intervention

Níveis plasmáticos mais elevados de ácidos graxos poli-insaturados omega-3 (EPA, DHA) e omega-6 (AA, DGLA) (analisados por quartis)

Comparator

Quartil mais baixo dos níveis plasmáticos de ácidos graxos poli-insaturados

Outcome

Prevalência de fibrilação atrial (AF) verificada por códigos da CID-10hard clinical

Higher physiological plasma levels of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are independently associated with a lower prevalence of atrial fibrillation in a real-world Japanese cohort.

Main Result

Effect estimate: OR 0.66 (95% CI 0.54-0.81)

p-value: p=<0.001

Limitations

Retrospective design prevents establishing causal relationships
Reliance on ICD codes for diagnosing AF may introduce misclassification bias
Adjusted for only age, sex, and BMI, not accounting for other potential confounders
Missing data could have affected results despite multiple imputation

Abstract

Aim: The relationship between omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the association between plasma levels of omega-3 PUFAs (eicosapentaenoic acid EPA, docosahexaenoic acid DHA) and omega-6 PUFAs (arachidonic acid AA and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid DGLA) and the prevalence of AF.

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