Plasma Free Fatty Acid as a Risk Factor for Cardiac Arrhythmias in Cases of Stable Angina and Acute Myocardial Infarction

Acute myocardial infarction carries a high mortality among cardiac patients. The discovery of the fact that certain enzymes like CPK, LDH liberated into circulation following necrosis of the myocardial cells came as boon for physicians and patients. There has been a constant search of different parameters for the diagnosis and management of Coronary Artery Diseases (CAD). The present study was undertaken to investigate a possible relation between the changes in plasma free fatty acid (FFA) concentration and incidence of cardiac arrhythmia in patients with coronary artery disease. Fifty cases (25 males and 25 females) of acute myocardial infarction were selected for the present study. All the patients were in the age group of 40–70 years. For the control group fifty (25 male and 25 female) subjects of same age group were selected from patient's relatives and friends. Plasma free fatty acid concentration was estimated by Titrametric method of Trout et al. (1960), a modified version of Dole (1956). Statistical Analysis: The statistical analysis of the data of the present study was done by using SPSS, version 14.0.1 was used. Our study showed that the patients with a striking elevation (above 1200 μeq/L) had an increased prevalence of serious arrhythmias and disorder of conduction. On the basis of present study, it is worth to say that in all cases with high level of serum free fatty acid should be closely monitored for early and timely detection of development of various cardiac arrhythmias.