Heart Disease Prevention

Omega 3 for Heart Disease Prevention: Primary vs. Secondary Evidence

There are two types of large scale studies that support the omega 3 heart disease prevention association. The first are randomized controlled human trials that include clinical coronary heart disease endpoints. A number of these omega 3 heart disease studies have been completed in patients who had been previously diagnosed with heart disease, and the results indicate that omega 3s can play a critical role in reducing risk of a second heart attack, or secondary heart disease risk.

Primary Omega 3 Heart Disease Prevention Studies

The second type of omega 3 heart disease studies are observational studies where omega 3 levels are measured in blood samples, or omega 3 consumption levels are tracked among thousands of people over significant periods of time. These measures are then correlated to incidence of heart attack or other heart disease conditions. The strong evidence that omega 3s play an important role in heart disease prevention among healthy populations is supported by this type of omega 3 heart disease research.

Omega 3 Heart Disease Prevention: Meta-Analysis Involving 222,000 Individuals

In a meta-analysis of 13 observational cohort studies including 222,000 individuals followed for coronary heart disease death for an average of approximately 12 years, it was shown that consumption of only 1 fish meal per week compared with 1 fish meal per month was associated with a statistically significant 15% reduction in risk¹. In these omega 3 heart disease studies, when subjects were classified into categories of increasing fish consumption (< 1/mo, 1–3/mo, 1/wk, 2– 4/wk, and >5/wk), those in the highest intake group showed a 40% reduction in risk. An inverse relation between fish intake and risk for coronary heart disease has also been recently reported in Greek² and in Japanese cohorts³.  These large scale omega 3 heart disease studies provide strong support for Omega 3 heart disease prevention and the role of the Gene Smart Omega 3 blood test for heart health.

Omega 3 Heart Disease Prevention: Omega-3 Index among Healthy Individuals

In another omega 3 heart disease meta-analysis, Dr. Harris et al showed that Omega 3 EPA + DHA concentrations in blood were inversely related to risk of coronary heart disease⁴.

A recent case control study in which the Omega 3 Index was measured in patients admitted to the hospital with acute coronary syndromes showed that this biomarker was a significant predictor of case status, independent of multiple clinical covariates including plasma lipids and lipoproteins⁵. Furthermore, across the 3 proposed omega-3 index risk categories, there was an approximate 70% reduction in odds for a heart attack, more compelling support for an omega 3 blood test for heart health.

Using data from the Physicians’ Health Study, the Omega 3 Index was clearly related to risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death ^6,7. For example, in this omega 3 heart disease study, there was a greater than 90% reduction in risk of sudden cardiac death for the one-quarter of individuals with the highest Omega 3 Index compared to those with the lowest levels. In this study, the Omega 3 Index was shown to be an independent predictor of risk.

These omega 3 heart disease studies were conducted in subjects who were free of known coronary heart disease at the time of blood sampling, and thus they constitute compelling evidence that a higher Omega 3 Index is predictive of coronary heart disease risk among individuals who have not been diagnosed with heart disease

Omega 3 Blood Test for Heart Health

Based on the strength of these and other studies, Gene Smart pioneered the first omega 3 blood test for heart health that measures the Omega 3 Index and Omega 6 to Omega 3 Ratio using a convenient at home finger stick kit. As a complement to the Omega 3 blood test for heart health, Gene Smart has developed a premium quality Omega 3 supplement specifically designed to help individuals increase their Omega 3 Index with just a couple of soft gels a day.

 

 

(1) He K, Song Y, Daviglus ML, et al. Accumulated evidence on fish consumption and coronary heart disease mortality: a meta-analysis of cohort studies. Circulation 2004;109:2705–11.

(2) Panagiotakos DB, Pitsavos C, Zampelas A, et al. Fish consumption and the risk of developing acute coronary syndromes: the CARDIO2000 study. Int J Cardiol 2005;102:403–9.

(3) Iso H, Kobayashi M, Ishihara J, et al. Intake of fish and n–3 fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease among Japanese: the Japan Public Health Center-Based (JPHC) Study Cohort I. Circulation 2006;113:195–202.

(4) Harris WS, Poston WC, Haddock CK. Tissue n–3 and n–6 fatty acids and risk for coronary heart disease events. Atherosclerosis 007;193:1–(3)

(5). Block RC, Harris WS, Reid KJ, Sands SA, Spertus JA. EPA and DHA in blood cell membranes from acute coronary syndrome patients and controls. Atherosclerosis 2008;197:821– 8.

(6) Albert CM, Campos H, Stampfer MJ, et al. Blood levels of long-chain n–3 fatty acids and the risk of sudden death. N Engl J Med 2002;346:1113–8.

(7) Harris WS, von Schacky C. The Omega-3 Index: a new risk factor for death from coronary heart disease? Prev Med 2004;39:212–20.