Abstract |
To minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), most dietary guidelines have recommended consuming 500 mg/day of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or two servings of oily fish/week. The sum of percent EPA and DHA in red blood cell (RBC) total fatty acids-termed the omega-3 index-has been proposed as a biomarker for assessing the risk of death from CVD. The omega-3 indices of ≤4, >4 to <8 and ≥8 % have been proposed to be associated with high, intermediate and low CVD risks, respectively. In this study, we determined the EPA + DHA intake level and the omega-3 index of South Asian Canadians (SAC; n = 308) and white Canadians (WC; n = 341) age 20-79 years living in the National Capital Region of Canada. The mean EPA + DHA intake levels were 569 ± 571 mg/day for SAC and 684 ± 865 mg/day for WC and 46 % of SAC and 43 % of WC met the recommended EPA + DHA intake level of 500 mg/day. The mean omega-3 indices were 6.6 and 5.9 % for SAC and WC respectively. The suggested cardio-protective target level for the omega-3 index of ≥8 % was observed only in 19.8 % of SAC and in 9.4 % of WC subjects. The majority of the participants (74.4 % of SAC and 82.7 % of WC) were in the >4 to <8 % range. These results suggest that although study participants' dietary intake of EPA + DHA is adequate, this intake was not sufficient to provide an omega-3 index that is considered cardio-protective.
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Authors | Reiko Nagasaka, Claude Gagnon, Eleonora Swist, Isabelle Rondeau, Isabelle Massarelli, Winnie Cheung, Walisundera M N Ratnayake |
Journal | Lipids
(Lipids)
Vol. 49
Issue 10
Pg. 1057-69
(Oct 2014)
ISSN: 1558-9307 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 25148923
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Chemical References |
- Biomarkers
- Fatty Acids, Omega-3
- Docosahexaenoic Acids
- Eicosapentaenoic Acid
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Topics |
- Adult
- Aged
- Animals
- Asian People
- Biomarkers
(blood)
- Cardiovascular Diseases
(blood, prevention & control)
- Diet
- Docosahexaenoic Acids
(administration & dosage)
- Eicosapentaenoic Acid
(administration & dosage)
- Erythrocytes
(metabolism)
- Fatty Acids, Omega-3
(blood)
- Female
- Fishes
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Nutritional Requirements
- Ontario
- Risk Factors
- White People
- Young Adult
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