Three-months effect of EPA and DHA supplementation on red blood cell fatty acid compositions and on omega-3 index in patients with history of cardiovascular diseases: an open label study

Objective: This study was conducted to measure the fatty acid content in RBCs of CVD patients with intake of EPA and DHA supplementation for three months. Design: A qualitative, single arm clinical trial open label study. Setting: Mohammad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa Cardiac Centre and University of Bahrain, Bahrain. Method: A triplicate dose (three capsules) of omega-3 supplements containing 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA was given to the CVD patients for 3 months. Blood samples were collected from the patients and the fatty acid content was extracted, methylated, and analyzed using Gas Chromatography. Result: The O3I percentage of composition at baseline (2.54%) was unchanged after supplement consumption (2.99). However, a significant increase in the total omega-3 levels from 4.31% to 5.23%, a significant decrease in omega-6/omega-3 ratio from 5.89% to 4.51%, and a significant decrease in the total omega-6 contents from 25.38% to 23.59% were found. Conclusion: This study provided the first experimental data on the effect of omega-3 supplement consumption in CVD patients in Bahrain. This study suggests the importance of ensuring the adequate intake of EPA+DHA supplements based on individuals/population O3I to achieve the desired O3I˃8%.