GOED Responds to Omega-3, Heart Health Study

SALT LAKE CITYResponding to recent data that found daily consumption of an omega-3-enriched margarine spread had no benefit in preventing cardiovascular events for individuals who have suffered a heart attack, the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) said the lower-dose study should not negate the positive findings of previous studies examining EPA/DHA's effect on secondary prevention in heart health at higher doses.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that daily consumption of an omega-3-enriched margarine spread containing roughly 400 mg of EPA/DHA showed no benefit in preventing cardiovascular events for those having suffered a heart attack more than four years ago. The researchers stated that such findings may have been affected by multiple unique variables, most notably the administration of cholesterol- and blood pressure-lowering treatments to all subjects during the study's duration.

According to GOED Executive Director Adam Ismail, another factor likely to have affected outcomes is the relatively low daily dose of EPA/DHA omega-3s.

"GOED supports research that examines all health effects of consuming EPA- and DHA-rich sources, as our members' focus is on educating consumers on the complexities of EPA/DHA consumption," Ismail said. While 400 mg of combined EPA/DHA provides a sufficient dose for most healthy individuals, previous clinical studies in individuals having suffered a heart attack suggest that 1,000 mg+ of EPA/DHA decreases the incidence of secondary cardiovascular eventsmore than twice the dose administered in the recently published study."