Omega-3 test marker in the future?

The measure, merely a quantification of the fatty acid status of a person, could help physicians and heart patients achieve levels of omega-3 that are reported scientifically to provide cardiovascular benefits.

“As is the case now for LDL [so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol], in the future cardiac societies might very well recommend [intake of] EPA and DHA to become goal orientated,” wrote Clemens von Schacky from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat in Munich, and William Harris from the University of South Dakota.

Their new review, published on-line ahead of print in the Elsevier journal Cardiovascular Research (doi: 10.1016/j.cardiores.2006.08.019), reviewed epidemiological and four large scale intervention studies, and concluded that the majority of the evidence supports the benefits of omega-3 intake for heart health.

Von Schacky and Harris proposed, therefore, the “omega-3 index”, defined as the percentage of EPA plus DHA in red blood cell membranes, relative to all other fatty acids.

Using data from the scientific literature, the reviewers calculated that an omega-3 index value of eight per cent or above is associated with a 90 per cent reduction in the risk of sudden cardiac death, compared to a value of four per cent or less.

Bonnie - this would be a welcome addition to our diagnostic options!