3 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS ( 3PUFA ) PREDICTS CARDIAC MORTALITY

In a very interesting paper published in the Annals.Int.Medicine, by Dr D.Mozaffarian and colleagues from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, declared that one could reduce cardiac and all cause mortality by 27% and cardiac arrhythmic death by 50 % if one has a high plasma level of polyunsaturated omega 3 fatty acid level.
They enrolled 2,692 subjects who were free of cardiac, and cerebro vascular disease in 1992, and measured their plasma 3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid level. This was part of the Cardiovascular Health Study cohort. The mean age of this population was 74+/- 5 years. They followed them up for 16 years. Non of the cohort was on fish oil capsules.In 2008, their clinical status and plasma  3 polyunsaturated fatty acid level was re-assessed. There were 1,625 deaths during this period, and 406 strokes.
They found a 27% reduction in all cause mortality, contributed mainly by cardiac mortality, and a 50% reduction in arrhythmic death. 3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid levels did not correlate well with strokes and cerebrovascular accidents.

Clinical outcomes hazard ratio* (HR, 95% CI) for quintile 5 vs quintile 1 of plasma phospholipid omega-3 PUFA levels, by PUFA type

End point	EPA	DHA	Total omega-3 PUFA
Total mortality	0.83 (0.71-0.98)	0.80 (0.67-0.94)	0.73 (0.61-0.86)
Total CV mortality	0.72 (0.54-0.96)	0.66 (0.49-0.89)	0.65 (0.48-0.87)
Total CHD mortality	0.77 (0.54-1.11)	0.60 (0.41-0.87)	0.60 (0.42-0.87)
Arrhythmic CHD mortality	0.76 (0.47-1.23)	0.55 (0.33-0.93)	0.52 (0.31-0.86)
Stroke mortality	0.84 (0.47-1.48)	0.62 (0.32-1.20)	0.60 (0.32-1.12)
Ischemic stroke	1.09 (0.76-1.57)	0.74 (0.50-1.10)	0.63 (0.43-0.94)
Hemorrhagic stroke	0.70 (0.30-1.67)	1.24 (0.52-2.94)	1.23 (0.53-2.89)

PUFA=polyunsaturated fatty acid

EPA=eicosapentaenoic acid

DHA=docosahexaenoic acid

I suppose I should also add that the easiest way to raise your 3PUFA levels would be to consume more fish. The deeper the sea the better. By the way, even the fishes are polluted nowadays. So, I suppose you take your chances.