A recent study reveals that the Omega-3 Index and smoking are equally strong predictors of cardiovascular risk and early death.
Key Points
- A recent study shows that a low Omega-3 Index (O3I) is as strong a predictor of early death as smoking
- An O3I of 8% or higher is associated with a longer lifespan, akin to the life expectancy observed in Japan, where the average O3I exceeds 8%
- Both smoking and a low Omega-3 Index are modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease, with quitting smoking and increasing omega-3 intake potentially adding years to one’s life
Measure Your Vitamin D Level – Save 15% When Including Your Omega-3 Index with Code Omega3s
March 20, 2025, Sioux Falls, SD – A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology adds prognostic value to predicting cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study confirms a low omega-3 level is an independent risk factor for CVD and that increasing intake of marine omega-3s (a low-cost, low-risk intervention) might reduce risk for atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD).
For this study, researchers were able to determine the Omega-3 Index of 2550 participants in the Framingham Offspring cohort who were free of ASCVD at baseline. Follow up was around 10 years.
What they found was that the Omega-3 Index contributed statistically significantly to the prediction of future risk for CVD events, and it did so to roughly the same extent as diabetes, cholesterol and smoking. Further, these finding suggest that the health effects of omega-3 operate via different mechanisms than lowering cholesterol or blood pressure.
“If people are concerned about correcting their high cholesterol level to reduce their risk for CVD, then they should be equally concerned about correcting their Omega-3 Index,” commented William S. Harris, PhD, senior investigator of this study, and President of the Fatty Acid Research Institute (FARI). “People can test their Omega-3 Index and if it is sub-optimal, they can take steps to correct; and those steps are very safe, cheap and simple — consume more oily fish on a regular basis and/or take omega-3 dietary supplements.”
Dr. Harris added: “These findings are exciting because I have believed for many years that the Omega-3 Index is as important a risk factor for CVD as the standard risk factors, and yet the medical community does not yet realize it. This study confirms that belief and will hopefully motivate more healthcare providers to start managing their patients’ omega-3 status.”
Because the average American consumes suboptimal amounts of marine omega-3s, 90% of the US population has an Omega-3 Index below the optimal level of 8%, above which is considered the cardioprotective range. Thus, most individuals would need to increase intake of omega-3 EPA and DHA to get to a cardioprotective Omega-3 Index range of ≥ 8%.
Media Inquiries:
Becky Wright
Marketing Communications Director, OmegaQuant
+1-201-675-0197
[email protected]
About OmegaQuant:
OmegaQuant is an independent, CLIA-certified lab that offers nutritional status testing to researchers, clinicians and the public. OmegaQuant performs analysis in Sioux Falls, SD, for commercial and academic research collaborators, and for consumers interested in monitoring their nutritional status in both blood and breast milk. Its goal is to offer the highest quality fatty acid analytical services to researchers and to provide simple tests of nutritional status to consumers, with the ultimate purpose of advancing the science and use of certain nutrients to improve health. Internationally, OmegaQuant works with lab partners based in Australia and the UK. In the UK, it has a partnership with the University of Stirling, based in the Scotland, to help process blood samples from Europe. Learn more @ www.omegaquant.com
About FARI:
FARI was established in 2020 as a non-profit foundation that brings together nutrition scientists and biostatistical experts with strong publication records and expertise in fatty acids to accelerate discovery of the relationship between fatty acids, especially omega-3s, and health. FARI is currently the only organization focused directly on discovering and publishing research evaluating the health effects of individual fatty acids. Learn more @ www.faresinst.org
Measure Your Levels Today – Get 15% Off when Including Your Omega-3 Index
Create your custom home blood spot kit to help determine if you are getting enough of the following nutrients shown to benefit overall health, along with other measures, including:
Vitamin D- Omega-3 Index plus Omega-3:Omega-6 and AA:EPA Ratios
- Magnesium (plus Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Lead, Cadmium & Mercury)
- hsCRP
- HbA1c
- Type 1 Diabetes Autoantibodies
- TSH
Vitamin DEnroll and test your levels today, learn what steps to take to improve your status of omega-3s, vitamin D and other nutrients and blood markers, and take action! By enrolling in the GrassrootsHealth projects, you are not only contributing valuable information to everyone, you are also gaining knowledge about how you could improve your own health through measuring and tracking your nutrient status, and educating yourself on how to improve it.