diet may be a variable in the risk of arrhythmia. polyunsaturated fatty acids, found in fish oils and several plant oils, serve a role in the prevention of arrhythmias. by inhibiting the voltage-dependent sodium current, these oils shift the threshold potential to a more positive value; therefore, an action potential requires increased depolarization. clinically therapeutic use of these extracts remains a subject of research, but a strong correlation is established between regular consumption of fish oil and lower frequency of hospitalization for atrial fibrillation, a severe and increasingly common arrythmia.