Study: Meta-analysis confirms omega-3 role in reducing risk of coronary heart disease

SALT LAKE CITY  — The latest research published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings outlined a statistically significant reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease for those in higher risk populations who supplemented their diets with EPA and DHA omega-3s , including a 16% reduction in CHD risk in those with high triglycerides and 14% in those with high LDL cholesterol.



"What makes this paper unique is that it looked at the effects of EPA and DHA on coronary heart disease specifically, which is an important nuance considering coronary heart disease accounts for half of all cardiovascular deaths in the U.S.," stated Dominik Alexander, lead author and principal epidemiologist for EpidStat. "The 6% reduced risk among [randomized controlled trials], coupled with an 18% risk reduction in prospective cohort studies — which tend to include more real-life dietary scenarios over longer periods — tell a compelling story about the importance of EPA and DHA omega-3s for cardiovascular health."



The study reviewed 18 randomized controlled trials and 16 prospective cohort studies, with 93,000 and 732,000 subjects, respectively. The study examined outcomes such as myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death and coronary death.



The study compared the results of RCTs, which explore interventions under strict clinical conditions, to those of prospective cohort studies that are observational, and followed larger populations for longer periods of time.



"There are important public health implications related to reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, and therefore we are encouraged by the results of this comprehensive analysis," said Harry Rice, VP regulatory and scientific affairs for the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED). "It's also important that the observed risk reductions were even stronger in patient populations with elevated triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels, two risk factors that affect more than one quarter of the American population."



"The results confirm that increasing omega-3s is a healthy lifestyle intervention that can contribute towards reductions in CHD risk," added Adam Ismail, executive director of GOED. "Remember that increasing omega-3 intakes is basically just improving the quality of one's diet slightly, like reducing the amount of sodium or increasing your dietary fiber. It is a simple, inexpensive and achievable change that most consumers need to make to optimize their health."



An accompanying editorial in Mayo Clinic Proceedings also acknowledges the importance of the study. "The meta-analyses of Alexander and colleagues suggests that omega-3 fatty acid intake may reduce risk of adverse CHD events, especially among people with elevated levels of TGs or LDL-C.…omega-3 fatty acid intake of at least 1 gram of EPA+DHA per day, either from seafood or supplementation (as recommended by the American Heart Association), continues to be a reasonable strategy."



The study was supported by a grant from GOED, which played no role in study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the article for publication.