Omega-3 Fatty Acids Linked to Lower Risk of Death in Patients Starting Dialysis.

Omega-3 fatty acid levels in the blood are linked with a lower risk of sudden cardiac death throughout the first year of hemodialysis, according to a Kidney International study of 100 patients who died of sudden cardiac death during their first year of hemodialysis and 300 patients who survived. The odds of sudden cardiac death at 1 year for the second, third, and fourth quartile groups with respect to omega-3 fatty acid levels were 0.37, 0.22, and 0.20, respectively, compared with the lowest quartile. A significant inverse relationship was maintained even during the highest-risk first few months on hemodialysis.