Survey of the erythrocyte EPA+DHA levels in the heart attack/stroke belt.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional survey of biomarker levels
PubMed 31492431 · doi:10.1016/j.plefa.2019.07.010
What was done
Fingerstick blood samples were collected from 2,177 individuals participating in a Seafood Nutrition Partnership survey across seven US cities within the cardiovascular disease (CVD) "belt." Erythrocyte EPA+DHA levels (Omega-3 Index, O3I) were measured. An age- and sex-matched subset of 772 participants was compared to the Framingham study cohort.
What was found
The total cohort (n = 2,177) had a mean (SD) O3I of 4.42% (1.12%). Only 1.2% were in the desirable range (8%–12%), whereas 42% had an undesirable O3I (<4%). In the matched subset of 772 individuals, the mean (SD) O3I was 4.6% (1.2%) compared to 5.3% (1.6%) in the Framingham cohort (p < 0.0001).
Why it matters
Demonstrates that erythrocyte omega-3 fatty acid levels are predominantly low in US regions with high cardiovascular mortality, suggesting a potential nutritional contributor to regional cardiovascular risk disparities.
Limits
The abstract describes a cross-sectional convenience sample from a partnership survey rather than a randomized, population-representative sample. Clinical cardiovascular outcomes, medication use, overall dietary patterns, and socioeconomic covariates were not reported.
Cited by
- supports The average American has an Omega-3 Index of approximately 5% of total red blood cell membrane fatty acids.