The Aboriginal Cardiovascular Omega-3 Randomised Controlled Trial

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Heart disease is the single biggest cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the main reason for the difference in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Indigenous Australians are 3 times more likely to suffer “heart attacks” than non-Indigenous Australians and are 1.5 times more likely to die as a result. Recent studies suggest that Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may help prevent “heart attacks” in people who already have coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is caused by plaque building up along the inner walls of the arteries of the heart, which narrows the arteries and reduces the blood flow to the heart. Omega 3 oil is a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) found in some plants, seafood, and, to a lesser extent, eggs and meat. Omega-3 is seen as "essential" because the human body can't produce it and so we must get it from foods or supplements. Several studies around the world have shown a decrease in the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) associated with increased consumption of fish or fish oils. This study is likely to be very important for understanding the main cause of death and life expectancy gap for Aboriginal people, as well as providing evidence to guide policy and clinical practice. The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid supplementation in Aboriginal adults with established coronary artery disease (CAD) to determine effects on factors implicated in adverse cardiovascular (CV) events including: atherogenic and protective lipid factors, Inflammatory factors, factors associated with thrombus formation, arrhythmic risk as measured by heart rate variability, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). The Aboriginal Cardiovascular Omega 3 (AC Omega 3) trial aims to find out if Aboriginal patients who have coronary artery disease will be better protected from having “heart attacks” by taking an Omega 3 oil supplement and if so how does it help do this.

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