Journal
JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
Volume 8, Issue -, Pages S46-S49Publisher
LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.2459/01.JCM.0000289273.87803.87
Keywords
coronary artery disease; docosahexaenoic acid; eicosapentaenoic acid; omega-3 index; risk factors; sudden cardiac death
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
A reliable risk factor for sudden cardiac death (SCD) for the general population remains to be defined. We propose the omega-3 index, defined as the combined percentage of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) in red blood cell membranes. It reflects the EPA+ DHA status of a given individual. It can be determined by a standardised and reproducible laboratory procedure. Several lines of evidence support the omega-3 index as a risk factor for SCD: in epidemiological studies, a steep dependence of risk for SCD and the omega-3 index has been observed between 6.5% (risk 0.1) and 3.3% (risk 1.0). EPA + DHA are antiarrhythmic on the supraventricular and ventricular levels. Dietary EPA + DHA reduce the incidence of SCD. Cardiac societies recommend EPA+ DHA for prevention of SCD. The omega-3 index can assess risk for SCD and monitor therapy with EPA + DHA. Moreover, compares very favourably with other risk factors for SCD.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available