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Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Markers of Thrombosis in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

Abstract

omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) are associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Antithrombotic mechanisms may in part explain this observation. Therefore, we examined the association of n-3 FAs with D-dimer and beta-thromboglobulin (BTG), markers for activated coagulation and platelets, respectively. The n-3 FAs eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) were determined via gas chromatography in the whole blood of 2373 patients with AF from the Swiss Atrial Fibrillation cohort study (ClinicalTrials.gov

Identifier

NCT02105844). In a cross-sectional analysis, we examined the association of total n-3 FAs (epa + DHA + DPA + ALA) and the association of individual fatty acids with D-dimer in patients with detectable D-dimer values (n = 1096) as well as with BTG (n = 2371) using multiple linear regression models adjusted for confounders. Median D-dimer and BTG levels were 0.340 ug/mL and 448 ng/mL, respectively. Higher total n-3 FAs correlated with lower D-dimer levels (coefficient 0.94, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 0.90-0.98, p = 0.004) and lower BTG levels (coefficient 0.97, Cl 0.95-0.99, p = 0.003). Likewise, the individual n-3 FAs EPA, DHA, DPA and ALA showed an inverse association with D-dimer. Higher levels of DHA, DPA and ALA correlated with lower BTG levels, whereas epa showed a positive association with BTG. In patients with AF, higher levels of n-3 FAs were associated with lower levels of D-dimer and BTG, markers for activated coagulation and platelets, respectively. These findings suggest that n-3 FAs may exert antithrombotic properties in patients with AF.

Authors

Reiner, Martin F,Bertschi, Daniela A,Werlen, Laura,Wiencierz, Andrea,Aeschbacher, Stefanie,Lee, Pratintip,Rodondi, Nicolas,Moutzouri, Elisavet,Bonati, Leo,Reichlin, Tobias,Moschovitis, Giorgio,Rutishauser, Jonas,Kühne, Michael,Osswald, Stefan,Conen, David,Beer, Jürg H
Published Date 2024 Jan 5