Dr. Majeroni's Wellness Perspective

Educational information only, not medical advice. Please talk with your physician before changing your diet, taking supplements or ordering lab tests, especially if you are pregnant, take blood thinners or have a medical condition.

A note from Dr. Majeroni

Hi, I'm Dr. David Majeroni. Most of my day is spent helping patients get healthy, confident smiles, but I've always been interested in what keeps the whole body healthy for the long run.

For years I've been reading about a simple blood measure called the omega-3 index. It reflects how much of the omega-3 fats found in fish (EPA and DHA) are in your red blood cells. Large studies have found that higher levels are associated with lower risk of heart disease and death from any cause. That doesn't prove fish oil or fish "adds years," but the research was interesting enough that I [his index result].

My own approach is food first: [food-first habit]. I'm sharing what I've learned in plain language, with the sources linked, so you and your family can talk it over with your own doctor. I'm an orthodontist, not your physician, and nothing here replaces their advice.

[optional family detail]

In this series

Questions? Email omega3@rome.md

Sources

Every page lists the studies and public-health sources it cites. The complete list:

Harris WS, von Schacky C. The Omega-3 Index: a new risk factor for death from coronary heart disease? Prev Med. 2004;39(1):212-20. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15208005/
Harris WS, et al. Comparative effects of an acute dose of fish oil on omega-3 fatty acid levels in red blood cells versus plasma. J Clin Lipidol. 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24079284/
Schuchardt JP, et al. Red blood cell fatty acid patterns from 7 countries: Focus on the Omega-3 index. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2022;179:102418. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35366625/
Stillwell W, Wassall SR. Docosahexaenoic acid: membrane properties of a unique fatty acid. Chem Phys Lipids. 2003;126(1):1-27. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14580707/
USGS. Mercury Contamination of Aquatic Environments. https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/mercury-contamination-aquatic-environments
US EPA. Mercury Emissions: The Global Context. https://www.epa.gov/international-cooperation/mercury-emissions-global-context
FDA/EPA. Advice about Eating Fish. https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish
Walker RE, et al. Predicting the effects of supplemental EPA and DHA on the omega-3 index. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;110(4):1034-1040. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31396625/
From Fish Waste to Value: An Overview of the Sustainable Recovery of Omega-3 for Food Supplements. Molecules (PMC). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7918619/
Highly Valuable Fish Oil: Formation Process, Enrichment, Subsequent Utilization, and Storage of EPA Ethyl Esters (PMC). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9865908/
Harris WS, Tintle NL, Etherton MR, Vasan RS. Erythrocyte long-chain omega-3 fatty acid levels are inversely associated with mortality and with incident cardiovascular disease: The Framingham Heart Study. J Clin Lipidol. 2018;12(3):718-727. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29559306/
McBurney MI, Tintle NL, Vasan RS, Sala-Vila A, Harris WS. Using an erythrocyte fatty acid fingerprint to predict risk of all-cause mortality: the Framingham Offspring Cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021;114(4):1447-1454. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8488873/
Harris WS, et al.; FORCE. Blood n-3 fatty acid levels and total and cause-specific mortality from 17 prospective studies. Nat Commun. 2021;12:2329. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33888689/
Manson JE, et al. Marine n-3 Fatty Acids and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer (VITAL). N Engl J Med. 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30415637/
Bhatt DL, et al. Cardiovascular Risk Reduction with Icosapent Ethyl for Hypertriglyceridemia (REDUCE-IT). N Engl J Med. 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30415628/
Nicholls SJ, et al. Effect of High-Dose Omega-3 Fatty Acids vs Corn Oil on Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (STRENGTH). JAMA. 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33190147/
Harris WS. Redefining target omega-3 index levels: The Japan Public Health Center Study. Atherosclerosis. 2018;272:216-218. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29525224/
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Health Professional Fact Sheet. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/
USGS. Mercury 101. https://www.usgs.gov/labs/mercury-research-laboratory/mercury-101
FDA. Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990-2012). https://www.fda.gov/food/environmental-contaminants-food/mercury-levels-commercial-fish-and-shellfish-1990-2012