Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease: Impact of Nutrition on the Risk of Fatal Complications and Importance of the Concept of Omega-3 Deficiency

Abstract

Active prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) is usually started immediately after the first clinical manifestation of CHD. Secondary prevention should primarily focus on the risk of death. The two main causes of death in these patients are sudden cardiac death (SCD) and heart failure (HF), often resulting from myocardial ischemia and subsequent necrosis. In that context, it is crucial to understand that our populations are chronically and severely deficient in some major nutrients, in particular omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 PUFA). Actually, consumption of n-3 PUFA is inversely correlated with the risk of SCD, the main cause of death in CHD patients. On the other hand, the main mechanism underlying recurrent cardiac events is myocardial ischemia resulting from atherosclerotic plaque rupture or ulceration.