The RBC Omega-3 Index is a biomarker of EPA and DHA status in the cell membranes of the body. It’s therefore a good reflection of “omega-status” in a given person.

What does it mean? Is it related to or does it predict any particular health or disease outcome? It turns out that it does. In a research paper we published on April 22, 2021 in Nature Communications in collaboration with the Fatty Acids & Outcomes Research –Consortium (FORCE) we examined the relationship between omega-3 blood levels and risk for death from any and all causes. This study included data from 17 separate research cohorts from around the world, including over 42,000 people followed for 16 years on average, during which time over 15,000 people died. We found that the people who had the highest EPA+DHA levels (i.e., at the 90th percentile) had a statistically significant, 13% lower risk for death during the follow-up period than people with EPA+DHA levels in the 10th percentile.

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