Omega-3 Deficiency Causes 96,000 Deaths
06/25/2009
DARTMOUTH, Canada-A new study from researchers at the Harvard School
of Public Health found omega-3 deficient diets cause up to 96,000
preventable deaths annually in the United States.
"The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative
Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle and Metabolic Risk Factors" study
published in the April 2009 issue of PLoS Medicine estimated the number of
deaths resulting from 12 different modifiable and preventable causes to
determine how many deaths were attributable to these factors.
Of the 12 dietary, lifestyle and metabolic risk factors examined in
the study, omega-3 fatty acid deficiency ranked as the sixth highest killer
of Americans, responsible for 72,000 to 96,000 preventable deaths yearly.
Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency even beat out high trans-fat intake, which is
responsible for an estimated 63,000 to 97,000 deaths annually.
"The numbers are shocking, especially given that these deaths are
preventable with omega-3 EPA/DHA supplementation," said Ocean Nutrition
Canada's vice president, marketing and communications, Lori Covert. "We know
daily doses of omega-3 EPA/DHA can help with many conditions, such as
cardiovascular disease, and we're committed to increasing consumer awareness
about the drastic omega-3 EPA/DHA deficiency in the Western diet. However,
this new study validates that omega-3 EPA/DHA is more than just part of a
healthy diet ... it's a matter of life and death."
Researchers retrieved data on exposures to the 12 selected risk
factors from U.S. national health surveys, and obtained information on
deaths from different diseases for 2005 from the U.S. National Health Center
for Health Statistics. They also used previously published studies to
estimate how much each risk factor increased the risk of death from each
disease, and applied a mathematical model to estimate the number of deaths
related to each risk factor.
Tobacco smoking ranked as the highest risk factor with 436,000 to
500,000 attributed preventable deaths, followed by high blood pressure
(372,000 to 414,000), obesity (188,000 to 237,000), physical inactivity
(164,000 to 222,000) and high-salt intake (97,000-107,000).
Studies such as this are becoming increasingly important in the U.S.
and around the world as healthcare costs skyrocket. Policymakers use these
studies to determine leading causes of mortality among populations, and then
to develop and implement public health policies and legislation to help
reduce exposure and to prevent death from certain risk factors.
-Gloria Hoover
Chia For Health |
