January 27, 2017 — Research reports continue to show the importance of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to heart health. The problem is that many people are in the low-intake range of both EPA and DHA and are at increased risk for many chronic diseases including heart disease. A recent meta-analysis points out the strength of the evidence concerning heart disease. A research group at the Department of Epidemiology of the EpidStat Institute in Ann Arbor, MI published their results in the Proceedings of the Mayo Clinic (1). They found that subgroup analyses of data from Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials (RCT) indicated a statistically significant Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) risk reduction with EPA plus DHA provision among higher-risk populations, including participants with elevated triglyceride levels. The summary relative risk estimate (SRRE) was 0.84 which indicates a 16 percent reduced risk. The reduced risk was 14 percent (SRRE=0.86) in those with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL). Meta-analysis of data from prospective cohort studies resulted in a statistically significant SRRE of 0.82 for higher intakes of EPA plus DHA and risk of any CHD event.
The researchers concluded, “Our comprehensive meta-analysis of data from RCTs and prospective cohort studies supports this recommendation. Although not statistically significant, a 6% reduced risk of any CHD event was observed among RCTs, a finding supported by a statistically significant 18% reduced risk of CHD among the prospective cohort studies. From a clinical perspective, our results indicate that EPA+DHA may be associated with reducing CHD risk to a greater extent in populations with elevated triglyceride levels or LDL cholesterol, which are risk factors that impact a significant portion of the general adult population in the United States.”
In 2012, I had the honor and privilege of co-authoring “The Missing Wellness Factors – EPA and DHA” with Professor Jørn Dyerberg, M.D., DMSc., the discoverer of the vital health benefits of fish oil EPA and DHA (2). Dr. Jørn Dyerberg went on five expeditions to the remote Greenland Inuits in the Arctic Circle. As we stated in Chapter Six, “(T)he take-home message of this book is that adequate amounts of the omega-3s, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are needed for optimal health. Unfortunately, through the past fifty years, the amounts of EPA and DHA have decreased considerably and at an ever-increasing pace.”
Last year, an interesting study confirmed that many people worldwide may not be getting optimal levels of the EPA and DHA (3). Professor Manfred Eggersdorfer, whom we have chatted with in this column before, was close to that study and is familiar with the study and its implications.