Should You Take Supplements for a Heart Arrhythmia?

While certain nutrients can support heart health, there’s no evidence that supplements can treat a heart arrhythmia. You may want to take them alongside treatment, but check with a doctor first.

An arrhythmia is an irregular heart rate. It may be a brief, occasional episode or an ongoing condition that affects your heart most or all of the time.

You may be tempted to try vitamins and other dietary supplements to help manage an arrhythmia and improve your heart function.

While certain nutrients can certainly help support heart health, they’re best viewed as complementary treatments to medications and procedures that manage arrhytmias.

Read on to learn more about how supplements may support heart health and safety considerations.

Can supplements help?

There’s no shortage of supplements on the market promising to improve your heart health. And there’s ongoing research that low levels of various vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease, arrhythmias, and other heart problems.

However, it’s not clear whether supplementation can help prevent or manage arrhythmias.

A 2022 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggested that while getting your essential nutrients from food sources is ideal, supplementation may be helpful.

However, it’s always a good idea to speak with a doctor before trying anything new, especially if you have a heart condition.

Supplements to try

The following are supplements that may support heart health.

Vitamins C and E

Vitamins C and E have antioxidant properties that support healthy skin and the immune system and protect against some diseases.

These powerful vitamins are also associated with healthy heart function. A 2022 study indicated that vitamins C and E may be especially helpful in preventing or reducing the severity of arrhythmias occurring in the top (atrium) or bottom (ventricles) chambers of the heart.

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is another antioxidant with multiple health benefits.

It’s been the subject of extensive heart-health research. A 2018 study suggested that coenzyme Q10 supplementation may help reduce arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, especially among individuals with heart failure.

Potassium

Potassium is an electrolyte that plays a key role in heart function.

A condition called hypokalemia (low potassium levels) can trigger an arrhythmia. When an individual is diagnosed with an arrhythmia, their doctor may recommend screening for hypokalemia.

If you have low potassium, your doctor may recommend supplements and dietary changes. A 2022 review suggested that treating individuals with hypokalemia with potassium supplements often resolved the arrhythmia or helped reduce the severity of their arrhythmia.

Magnesium

Like potassium, magnesium is another electrolyte essential for healthy heart function and managing blood pressure.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , magnesium and potassium supplements may be helpful if your doctor determines an electrolyte imbalance might be contributing to or triggering your arrhythmia.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3s are considered “healthy fats” that help prevent or reduce inflammation throughout the body. Many people take them to help prevent cardiovascular disease and to support better brain function.

You can get omega-3s in food sources like:

• walnuts
• flax
• salmon
• mackerel
• herring
• sardines
• albacore tuna

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating two servings of fish per week. If you don’t eat fish or find it hard to get enough omega-3s, you may want to take a supplement.

A 2018 report in BMJ OpenHeart suggested that omega-3 fatty acids have antiarrhythmic effects and may be beneficial in preventing arrhythmia episodes. However, some research has indicated that taking omega-3 supplements — particularly at high doses — is actually linked to an increased risk for atrial fibrillation.

A 2022 report explained that consuming too little or too much omega-3 may raise your risk of arrhythmia. This makes it all the more important to consult your doctor about the risks and benefits of supplements, especially at high doses.

Risks and considerations

Two key concerns about dietary supplements are how they might interact with other medications and how your body might react to a specific supplement.

Another consideration is that dietary supplements aren’t always regulated to the same standards as medications. As a result, some supplements may contain more or less of a particular nutrient or ingredient than the amount listed on the label. Supplements also may contain ingredients not listed on the label.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends being particularly cautious or skeptical of supplements that promise to “cure” or “prevent” a condition or otherwise make promises that seem too good to be true.

Useful supplement shopping guides

• How to Choose High Quality Vitamins and Supplements
• How to Read Supplement Labels Like a Pro

How to take supplements safely

As with prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications, supplements should only be taken at their recommended doses. Exceeding those dosage levels could lead to side effects and potentially serious health complications.

It’s also important to consider the nutrient contents in the food you eat and the amount in a particular supplement. For example, if you eat a lot of seafood and you take an omega-3 supplement, it’s possible you’re exceeding your recommended omega-3 intake.

If you have any doubts or concerns about a supplement, speak with a doctor. Your pharmacist may be another helpful source, particularly regarding possible interactions between supplements or between supplements and medications.

Questions to ask a doctor

Before you start taking any new medication or supplement to help treat a condition — especially one as serious as a cardiac arrhythmia — you should consult your healthcare doctor. Some questions to ask include:

• Is it safe for me to take vitamins or dietary supplements?
• What doses are safe?
• What are the possible risks of taking supplements for an arrhythmia?
• Are there any supplements that may interact with medications I’m taking?
• What side effects or complications should I be aware of, and what should I do if any develop?

The bottom line

If you have an arrhythmia that requires treatment, your doctor may recommend medications, an evaluation, or both for a procedure like a pacemaker implant or ablation.

On top of these established, conventional treatments, you may be able to improve your heart function with a balanced diet and supplements, if needed.

Before you start taking supplements that promise optimal heart health, speak with your doctor about whether you really need a dietary supplement and how to take it safely.