Effect of fish oil on ventricular tachyarrhythmia and death in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators: the Study on Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Ventricular Arrhythmia (SOFA) randomized trial.

Context: Very-long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFAs) from fish are thought to reduce risk of sudden death, possibly by reducing susceptibility to cardiac arrhythmia.

Objective: To study the effect of supplemental fish oil vs placebo on ventricular tachyarrhythmia or death.

Design, Setting, And Patients: The Study on Omega-3 Fatty acids and ventricular Arrhythmia (SOFA) was a randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial conducted at 26 cardiology clinics across Europe.

Percutaneous septal ablation in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: current status.

This article reviews aetiology, natural history, and current treatment options in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with a special focus on percutaneous septal ablation, which has evolved as an alternative to myectomy in patients with outflow obstruction and symptoms refractory to medical treatment. Literature data and the own series of 382 interventions (in-hospital mortality and pacemaker implantation rates: 1.2% and 7%, respectively) are discussed.

[Acute hemodynamic effects].

Several studies on the acute effect of cardiac resynchronization in patients with advanced heart failure (HF) and left bundle branch block (LBBB) have shown that left and biventricular stimulation increase pulse pressure and contractility, while patients with a QRS complex <150 ms may deteriorate during stimulation. Patients with LBBB, severe HF and a QRS width >150 ms underwent right, left and biventricular stimulation at different AV delays. Acute response was defined as > or =10% pulse pressure increase.