A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology found that a low omega-3 level was an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and that increasing the intake of EPA and DHA might reduce the risk of developing atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD).

In the study, researchers determined the omega-3 index of 2,550 participants of the Framingham Offspring cohort who were free of ASCVD at baseline, and the follow-up period lasted around 10 years on average.

Omega-3 index contributed significantly to the prediction of the future risk of CVD events, to roughly the same extent as diabetes, high cholesterol, and smoking. Because the association was independent of other factors, the findings suggest that the health effects of omega-3 operate via different mechanisms than cholesterol or blood pressure, according to the authors.

“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,” said 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.”

The average American consumes very little marine omega-3s, and 90% of the U.S. population has an omega-3 index below the optimal level of 8%, above which is considered the cardioprotective range based on previous studies.