TY - JOUR
T1 - The Omega-3 Index
T2 - A new risk factor for death from coronary heart disease?
AU - Harris, William S.
AU - Von Schacky, Clemens
N1 - Funding Information:
Conflicts of interest for sponsored work. Roche Vitamins provided a research grant to conduct the dose-ranging study presented in this paper. However, the data herein included on RBC fatty acid composition were derived from an independent analysis of the blood samples collected in that study and were not a part of the funded protocol.
PY - 2004/7
Y1 - 2004/7
N2 - Background. Low intakes or blood levels of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA + DHA) are independently associated with increased risk of death from coronary heart disease (CHD). In randomized secondary prevention trials, fish or fish oil have been demonstrated to reduce total and CHD mortality at intakes of about 1 g/day. Red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid (FA) composition reflects long-term intake of EPA + DHA. We propose that the RBC EPA + DHA (hereafter called the Omega-3 Index) be considered a new risk factor for death from CHD. Methods. We conducted clinical and laboratory experiments to generate data necessary for the validation of the Omega-3 Index as a CHD risk predictor. The relationship between this putative marker and risk for CHD death, especially sudden cardiac death (SCD), was then evaluated in several published primary and secondary prevention studies. Results. The Omega-3 Index was inversely associated with risk for CHD mortality. An Omega-3 Index of ≥8% was associated with the greatest cardioprotection, whereas an index of ≤4% was associated with the least. Conclusion. The Omega-3 Index may represent a novel, physiologically relevant, easily modified, independent, and graded risk factor for death from CHD that could have significant clinical utility.
AB - Background. Low intakes or blood levels of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA + DHA) are independently associated with increased risk of death from coronary heart disease (CHD). In randomized secondary prevention trials, fish or fish oil have been demonstrated to reduce total and CHD mortality at intakes of about 1 g/day. Red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid (FA) composition reflects long-term intake of EPA + DHA. We propose that the RBC EPA + DHA (hereafter called the Omega-3 Index) be considered a new risk factor for death from CHD. Methods. We conducted clinical and laboratory experiments to generate data necessary for the validation of the Omega-3 Index as a CHD risk predictor. The relationship between this putative marker and risk for CHD death, especially sudden cardiac death (SCD), was then evaluated in several published primary and secondary prevention studies. Results. The Omega-3 Index was inversely associated with risk for CHD mortality. An Omega-3 Index of ≥8% was associated with the greatest cardioprotection, whereas an index of ≤4% was associated with the least. Conclusion. The Omega-3 Index may represent a novel, physiologically relevant, easily modified, independent, and graded risk factor for death from CHD that could have significant clinical utility.
KW - Coronary heart disease
KW - Docosahexaenoic acid
KW - Eicosapentaenoic acid
KW - Omega-3 fatty acids
KW - Risk factors
KW - Sudden cardiac death
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.02.030
DO - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.02.030
M3 - Article
C2 - 15208005
AN - SCOPUS:2942724415
SN - 0091-7435
VL - 39
SP - 212
EP - 220
JO - Preventive Medicine
JF - Preventive Medicine
IS - 1
ER -