Omega-3 Index and cardiovascular disease prevention: principle and rationale

✍ Scribed by Clemens von Schacky

• Book ID: 102932130
• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 822 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0956-666X
• DOI: 10.1002/lite.201000034

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A clearer picture emerges when correlating blood levels of marine omega‐3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) to cardiovascular events than when correlating dietary intake. Therefore, the Omega‐3 Index has been proposed as a novel biomarker of cardiovascular risk. The Omega‐3 Index is defined as the percentage of EPA+DHA in red blood cell (RBC) fatty acids. The definition includes the analytical method, which has been standardized (HS‐Omega‐3 Index) similarly to other routine clinical laboratory parameters. Completed and ongoing research projects (more than 80) indicate that the HS‐Omega‐3 Index presently fulfils many criteria for a novel biomarker for cardiovascular risk. Because the research results are obtained with a standardized methodology, introducing the HS‐Omega‐3 Index into clinical routine is possible.