The results of the GISSI-HF trial indicate that in patients with chronic HF on evidence-based medical therapy and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II-IV, long term treatment with n-3 PUFAs 1 g daily reduces mortality and hospitalizations for cardiovascular reasons. Several potential mechanisms may underlie the beneficial effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in HF patients, including, but not limited to, antiarrhythmic, and hemodynamic actions. The current investigation was therefore designed to test the hypothesis that treatment with n-3 PUFAs improves LV systolic function expressed as EF in patients with stable chronic HF secondary to a nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICM). Additionally, we sought to determine if n-3 PUFAs also exert positive effects on LV diastolic function assessed by echocardiography; functional capacity assessed by cardiopulmonary stress testing (CPET); and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class.
The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that n-3 PUFAs improve left ventricular systolic function in patients with stable chronic HF secondary to nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICM).