Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) & Atrial fibrillation

Written from the studies on PubMed, searched on 11 Nov 2026. Every number below comes from a study listed under Sources.

The claim

Posts online say that omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) helps with atrial fibrillation.

Where research stands

We found 147 published papers on omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) and atrial fibrillation. They were published between 2005 and 2026. 32 of them are studies in people. 31 of them compared people who got it with a group that did not. 9 were studies in animals, and none was only in cells in the lab. 41 papers are reviews that sum up other studies. 2 new studies in people are running or will start soon, says the trial register ClinicalTrials.gov.

• 32In people31 with a comparison group
• 9In animals
• 0Only in the lab

What the studies found

We have not summed up these studies in words yet. The most important papers are listed under Sources.

Verdict

Sources

1. Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake on Circulating Biomarkers of Atrial Fibrillation-Related Pathways in the PREDIMED-Plus Study.2026 · Nutrients · Randomised trial
2. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements and risk of atrial fibrillation and 'micro-atrial fibrillation': A secondary analysis from the OMEMI trial.2023 · Clin Nutr · Randomised trial
3. Cardiovascular Benefits of Icosapent Ethyl in Patients With and Without Atrial Fibrillation in REDUCE-IT.2023 · J Am Heart Assoc · Randomised trial
4. Changes in eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and risk of cardiovascular events and atrial fibrillation: A secondary analysis of the OMEMI trial.2022 · J Intern Med · Randomised trial
5. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation improves lipid metabolism and endothelial function by providing a beneficial eicosanoid-pattern in patients with acute myocardial infarction: A randomized, controlled trial.2021 · Clin Nutr · Randomised trial
6. Assessment of OMT-28, a synthetic analog of omega-3 epoxyeicosanoids, in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation: Rationale and design of the PROMISE-AF phase II study.2020 · Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc · Randomised trial
7. Effect of fish oil on circulating asymmetric dimethylarginine and adiponectin in overweight or obese patients with atrial fibrillation.2020 · Food Sci Nutr · Randomised trial
8. Fish Oil Supplementation Does Not Affect Cognitive Outcomes in Cardiac Surgery Patients in the Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Prevention of Post-Operative Atrial Fibrillation (OPERA) Trial.2018 · J Nutr · Randomised trial
9. Preoperative carbohydrate load and intraoperatively infused omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids positively impact nosocomial morbidity after coronary artery bypass grafting: a double-blind controlled randomized trial.2017 · Nutr J · Study in people
10. Fish oil supplementation for primary prevention of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: A randomized clinical trial.2017 · Int J Surg · Study in people
11. Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Treatment on Risk for Atrial Fibrillation: An Updated Meta-Analysis of 35 Trials including 114 592 Individuals.2026 · Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol · Review
12. Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Treatment on Risk for Atrial Fibrillation: An Updated Meta-Analysis of 34 Trials including 114,326 Individuals.2025 · medRxiv · Review
13. Does parenteral Omega-3 fatty acid administration increase the risk of atrial fibrillation? An analysis of the current evidence.2025 · Clin Nutr · Review
14. A review of the relationships between reported fish oil supplement use and health outcomes in the UK Biobank.2025 · Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids · Review
15. Omega-3 and Risk of atrial fibrillation: Vagally-mediated double-edged sword.2025 · Prog Cardiovasc Dis · Review
16. Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Arrhythmias.2024 · Circulation · Review
17. Physiological doses of eicosapentaenoic acid suppress high-fat diet-induced atrial fibrillation in mice independent of lipid lowering.2026 · J Physiol Sci · In animals
18. Eicosapentaenoic acid prevents atrial electrocardiographic impairments and atrial fibrillation in high fat diet mice.2025 · J Physiol Sci · In animals
19. Fish, long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and incidence of atrial fibrillation: A pooled analysis of two prospective studies.2017 · Clin Nutr · In animals
20. [Effects of docosahexaenoic acid on atrial physiological parameter and TASK-1 protein expression in atrial fibrillation rats].2016 · Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi · In animals
21. Docosahexaenoic acid, but not eicosapentaenoic acid, supplementation reduces vulnerability to atrial fibrillation.2012 · Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol · In animals
22. Eicosapentaenoic acid prevents atrial fibrillation associated with heart failure in a rabbit model.2011 · Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol · In animals
23. Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Atrial Fibrillation: Current Evidence and Expert Opinion.2026 · Eur J Prev Cardiol · Other paper
24. Association Between Plasma Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acid Levels and Atrial Fibrillation: A Large-Scale, Real-World Retrospective Study in Japan.2026 · J Atheroscler Thromb · Other paper
25. Phenotypic age acceleration and omega-6/omega-3 PUFA ratio in dynamic atrial fibrillation-heart failure transitions: a multistate analysis.2026 · J Nutr Health Aging · Other paper
26. Associations Between Plasma Omega-3 and Fish Oil Use With Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in the UK Biobank.2025 · J Am Heart Assoc · Other paper

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