Luhua News

From nutritionaloutlook

A new meta-analysis¹ sponsored by the Global Organization for EPA and EHA Omega-3s (GOED; Salt Lake City) appears to offer some of the most compelling data yet linking omega-3 consumption with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). The study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings earlier this week, is “the most comprehensive meta-analysis to date on CHD and omega-3s,” according to GOED.

The meta-analysis included 18 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 16 prospective cohort studies, with total study populations of 93,000 and 732,000, respectively. Studies were found through a systematic literature search covering the period from January 1, 1947 to November 2, 2015.

Researchers found that consumption of EPA and DHA from supplements and/or foods resulted in statistically significant reductions to CHD risk in high-risk populations, including participants with high triglycerides (16% reduction in CHD risk) and participants with high LDL cholesterol (14% reduction in CHD risk). Across all populations, there was a non-statistically significant 6% reduction of CHD risk in the RCTs, and a significant 18% reduction of CHD risk in the prospective cohort studies.

“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, PhD, vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs for GOED, in the study announcement. “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.”

GOED also noted that the observed differences in CHD risk reduction between the RCTs and the prospective cohort studies (6% versus 18%) may be due to the fact that prospective cohort studies generally track larger populations across longer periods of time.

“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.,” said Dominik Alexander, PhD, lead author of the study. “The 6% reduced risk among RCTs, 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.”

References

Alexander D et al., “A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and coronary heart disease risk,” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, vol. 92, no. 1 (January 2017): 15–29