Dr. Bill Harris on the Omega-3 Index: Increasing Omega-3 to Promote Longevity & Transform Health

In the REDUCE-IT trial, the achieved on-treatment blood level of EPA was the strongest predictor of clinical cardiovascular benefit, outperforming cholesterol and triglycerides.

"And they reported that the most striking—the only risk factor they could measure or thing in the blood that they measured that would predict outcomes, it was better than cholesterol, better than triglycerides, was the omega-3 level. It was the omega-3 level achieved. That was the strongest predictor of benefit in the REDUCE-IT trial" (said at 0:40:45)

No published record matching the specific biomarker analysis from the REDUCE-IT trial evaluating achieved on-treatment blood EPA levels versus lipids was located; this does not prove the claim false.

Average total fish consumption in the United States is 13 pounds per person per year.

"Fish? Well, when it's 13 pounds per person per year, um, and that's all fish, right? So that includes, you know, uh, shrimp, which has zero omega-3, and, uh, whitefish, pollock" (said at 0:54:13)

No published record matching the claim that average total fish consumption in the United States is 13 pounds per person per year was located; this does not prove the claim false.

In Japanese cohort studies, an Omega-3 Index of 10% provides an additional reduction in risk compared to an index of 8%.

"I mean, in Japan, you might you actually get an additional predictive reduction in risk at 10% versus being at 8%." (said at 0:58:58)

No published record demonstrating that an Omega-3 Index of 10% provides an additional risk reduction compared to 8% in Japanese cohort studies was located; this does not prove the claim false. While international surveys confirm that Japanese populations have higher baseline Omega-3 Index levels (averaging >8%) than Western populations (PMID: 35366625), published epidemiological studies evaluating cardiovascular or mortality risk across specific target thresholds of 10% versus 8% were not found.

• context: Red blood cell fatty acid patterns from 7 countries: Focus on the Omega-3 index. (Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and essential fatty acids 2022) · cited 57x in the literature

  "The mean Omega-3 Index of each country was categorized as desirable (>8%), moderate (>6% to 8%), low (>4% to 6%), or very low (≤4%). Only cohorts from Alaska (treated separately from the US), South Korea and Japan showed a desirable Omega-3 Index." (abstract, results, passage verified)

  pubmedfull study (doi)

An ecological study using WHO data across six global regions found that higher average country-level fish intake correlated with a lower risk of death from COVID-19.

"They looked at WHO data on COVID death, and they looked at reported fish intake on the countries, and they did it by six different regions around the world. And what they they they showed, you know, the the higher the the average fish intake, the lower the risk of death in COVID." (said at 1:15:00)

No published record matching the claim of an ecological study using WHO data across six global regions linking country-level fish intake to lower COVID-19 mortality was located; this does not prove the claim false.

Lovaza was previously known as Omacor when GlaxoSmithKline sought FDA approval for it.

"when the folks at GlaxoSmithKline took Lovaza—used to be called Omacor—took Lovaza to the FDA to get it approved" (said at 1:44:25)

No published record matching the claim that GlaxoSmithKline took Lovaza under the name Omacor to the FDA for initial approval was located; this does not prove the claim false.