Review of DHA points to public health initiative

A comprehensive review of published clinical studies by research associates at Tufts New England Medical Center, USA, that appears in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, has found that increased consumption of the key omega-3s, docosahexanoic acid and eicosapentanoic acid, reduces the rates of all-cause mortality, cardiac and sudden death, and possibly also stroke.

In a corresponding editorial on the review, Richard Deckelbaum and Sharon Akabas note that the "body of existing evidence is strong enough to suggest that in the USA, certainly, and in other countries where omega-3 fatty acid consumption is low, public health initiatives are needed to increase intakes of EPA and DHA." Peer-reviewed studies have reported that patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and depression may be deficient in vital nutrients, including omega-3.