Increased omega 3 intake linked to cardioprotection and reduced heart attack risk

22 Sep 2020 --- EPA and DHA omega 3 intake has been linked to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events, according to new research funded by the Global Association for EPA and DHA (GOED).

The meta-analysis, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, reviewed 40 clinical trials, supporting the heart-healthy advantages of consuming more EPA and DHA omega 3 fats. Among these benefits are the reduced risk of myocardial infarctions, including fatal heart attacks.

“The study supports the notion that EPA and DHA intake contributes to cardioprotection, and that whatever patients are getting through the diet, they likely need more,” details Carl Lavie, MD, a cardiologist at Ochsner Health in New Orleans, US, and one of the study authors.

Specifically, the study found that EPA and DHA supplementation is associated with a statistically significant reduced risk of: fatal myocardial infarction (35 percent); myocardial infarction (13 percent); CHD events (10 percent); and CHD mortality (9 percent).

CHD is a cause of 7.4 million deaths globally each year, as cited by the study’s authors.

Results correlate with dosage
Cardiovascular benefits appear to increase with dosage. The researchers found consuming an extra 1,000 mg of EPA and DHA per day further decreased the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack.

The study looked at dosages of up to 5,500 mg per day, finding that the risk of cardiovascular disease events decreased by 5.8 percent. In particular, the risk for heart attack decreased by 9.0 percent.

The study looked at dosages of up to 5,500 mg per day, finding that the risk of cardiovascular disease events decreased by 5.8 percent.

This research corroborates the results of an earlier meta-analysis from Harvard School of Public Health, published in fall 2019, that looked at EPA and DHA dosage using the 13 largest clinical studies.

This new paper encompasses more than triple the number of studies compared to previous research, representing the totality of the evidence to date and including more than 135,000 study participants.

“When separate analyses arrive at similar results, that’s not only validating; it also underscores the science base needed to inform future intake recommendations,” says co-author Aldo Bernasconi, vice president of data science at GOED. 

“Because this paper included more studies and all dosages, the estimates for a dose-response are more precise and the conclusions stronger,” he remarks.

Underconsumption of heart-healthy nutrients
EPA and DHA omega-3s are long-chain, marine-based omega 3 fatty acids. Eating fish, particularly fatty fish such as salmon, anchovies and sardines, are a good way to receive these nutrients, according to GOED.

However, considering that most people around the world eat much less than the amount of fish recommended, the researchers tout omega 3 supplementation as essential to closing the gap.

Fortifying foods with this nutrient may prove to be a viable way to address the lack in consumption of omega 3 across populations. Earlier this month, a new processing technique was found to enrich the omega 3 fatty acid content in a range of foods, without changing important sensory values.

Meanwhile, global launches featuring omega 3-rich fish oils rose by 41 percent from 2018 to 2019, according to Innova Market Insights data. Fish oil featured in 87 percent of 2019 marine oil launches. 

“People should consider the benefits of omega3 supplements at doses of 1,000 to 2,000 mg per day – far higher than what is typical, even among people who regularly eat fish,” adds Dr. Lavie.

“Given the safety and diminished potential for interaction with other medications, the positive results of this study strongly suggest omega 3 supplements are a relatively low-cost, high impact way to improve heart health with few associated risks and should be considered as part of a standard preventive treatment for most patients with cardiovascular diseases and those recovering from myocardial infarction,” he concludes.

Omega 3’s nutritional efficacies extend beyond heart health. A recent study by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare – now part of GSK Consumer Healthcare – revealed last month that a combination of probiotics and omega 3 fatty acids could help fight chronic low-grade inflammation.

Edited by Benjamin Ferrer