06/29/2025
A new study has found that a low omega-3 level was an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), and that increasing the intake of EPA and DHA might reduce the risk of developing atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD). In fact, the omega-3 Index (the relative levels of EPA and DHA determined in red blood cell membranes), smoking and cholesterol were found to be equally strong CVD risk factors.
In the study, researchers determined the omega-3 index of 2,550 participants of the Framingham Offspring cohort who were free of ASCVD at baseline, and the follow-up period lasted around 10 years on average.
The omega-3 index contributed significantly to the prediction of the future risk of CVD events, to roughly the same extent as diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking. Because the association was independent of other factors, the findings suggest that the health effects of omega-3 operate via different mechanisms than cholesterol or blood pressure, according to the authors.
Specifically, the study examined the extent to which the omega-3 index (O3I) improved the predictive capability of the Pooled Cohort Equation (PCE). The PCE is a tool used to estimate a person's 10-year risk of developing ASCVD, which includes nonfatal myocardial infarction (heart attack), coronary heart disease death, and nonfatal or fatal stroke. The 9 inputs normally used for the equation are age, s*x, race, total and HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, treatment for hypertension, diabetes and smoking status.
In the study cohort the predictive value for 10-year ASCVD events using the PCE was 0.689. It increased to 0.698 (P < 0.05) upon the addition of the O3I. The predictive weightings in the basic model were 0.028 (blood pressure, HDL-C), 0.020 (diabetes), 0.012 (O3I), 0.006 (total cholesterol), and 0.004 (smoking); all but smoking were significant (P < 0.05). Also, the O3I significantly (P < 0.05) improved the predictive ability of each of these risk factors when analysed separately.
“If people are concerned about correcting their high cholesterol level to reduce their risk for CVD, then they should be equally concerned about correcting their Omega-3 Index,” said William S. Harris, PhD, senior investigator of this study, and President of the Fatty Acid Research Institute (FARI). “People can test their Omega-3 Index and if it is sub-optimal, they can take steps to correct; and those steps are very safe, cheap and simple: consume more oily fish on a regular basis and/or take omega-3 dietary supplements.”
For more information see: https://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/breaking-news/omega-3-index-smoking-cholesterol-found-to-be-equally-strong-cvd-risk-factors-study/?utm_campaign=NUT%20eNewsletter&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_Fq_nFWWd1r7P0-Nd_flOh5c_yYmDUshSLOp3Y5cjXhQpWoZq0I0sg9YSpjqKNF-bXRMlx7JKmkQl2UA8bUM1Csk4CkQ&_hsmi=353948583&utm_content=353948583&utm_source=hs_email
and
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40074603/
