EPA Versus DHA and the Benefits of Omega 3 Fish Oil

Jul, 2021 - By SMI

A new study shows that one specific omega 3 fatty acid can have many benefits to an individual’s cardiac health.

There is a continuing discussion about the medical benefits of omega 3 fatty acids, to put it mildly. Numerous studies in recent years have shown that additional fish oil additives that are commonly used to decrease the risk of a person becoming cardiovascular are not beneficial. The key to positive cardiovascular outputs from Omega 3 additives may now be the particular fatty acid consumption by new methods of randomized controlled experiments. There are three types of Omega 3 fatty acids which are vital for human health. Alpha linolenic mainly found in plant foods is the most common fatty acid. The other two acids are docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic which are particularly found in supplements and are known as classic fatty acids (fish oil). A combination of DHA and EPA is found in many over the counter fish oil additives.

Early data showed that a distilled concentrated mixture of DHA and EPA did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular adverse events, due to which a large Phase 3 clinical trial was suspended. The failure of the trial was compared with the other drug Vascepa, which is already approved by Food and Drugs Administration that reported the rising positive cardiovascular results. This idea is further strengthened by the new study comparing the results of DHA+EPA tests and against trials that focus solely on EPA monotherepy. When EPA was administered alone, results showed confidently reduced death and improved cardiovascular health.

The scientists state that the cardiovascular advantages of Omega 3 fish oil are possible to assume to be limited to EPA. For 10 years, almost 1000 patients were followed by research with high risk of cardiovascular adverse events. Both EPA and DHA have been evaluated in blood circulation and research has found the lowest risk for adverse cardiac events to be those with the highest levels of EPA. However, the advantages in patients with high EPA were shattered by high DHA levels. Deepak Bhatt, who has co-authored the new meta-analysis, is optimistic that EPA provides cardiovascular benefit for omega 3 fish oil.