A higher omega-3 level apparently protects from dying from COVID-19
11.02.2021
The association of a low HS-Omega-3 Index® and mortality from COVID-19 is analyzed in a comprehensive study with Munich hospitals
Martinsried, February 11, 2021 – Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, together with Omegametrix’s U.S. sister laboratory determined the HS-Omega-3 Index in 100 patients with COVID-19 on hospital admission. Omegametrix is a start-up based at the Innovation and Start-up Center in Martinsried Biotechnology (IZB) near Munich. “Of the 25 patients with the highest HS-Omega-3 Index values (>5.7 percent), one patient died, while of the 75 patients with lower values, 13 died. After adjustment for known risk factors, the 25 patients with the highest values were 75 percent less likely to die. In other words, the relative risk of dying from COVID-19 was four times higher with an HS-Omega-3 Index <5.7 percent than with an HS-Omega-3 Index >5.7 percent,” explained Prof. Clemens von Schacky, CEO of Omegametrix GmbH, the study. The results have been published in electronic form, but are still preliminary due to the small number of cases. Omegametrix is working with Munich clinics to substantiate the results. The background is probably that with a higher HS-Omega-3 index the cytokine reaction (“cytokine storm”) is lower and inflammations are resolved more quickly. That is why numerous intervention studies with EPA & DHA have already been started for prevention and therapy of COVID-19.
“I am pleased that from the IZB on the subject of COVID-19 not only news on drug development can be published again and again, but now also on the prevention of the disease,” said Dr. Peter Hanns Zobel, Managing Director IZB.
Omega-3 fatty acids perform central tasks in the body and are found in every single body cell. This makes them a crucial factor for health. The two omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are present in particularly large quantities in the cells of the brain and, with a share of about 60 percent, in the retina of the eyes. Furthermore, positive effects on the cardiovascular system, high blood pressure, muscle soreness in extreme athletes and also on children with ADHD can be identified.
How can the concentration of omega-3 fatty acids in one’s own body be determined precisely and reliably? The HS-Omega-3 Index®, which was developed by Prof. Dr. von Schacky, measures the level of the two essential fatty acids EPA and DHA in the red blood cells according to a strictly standardized procedure. In addition, 24 other fatty acids are measured, which can provide additional information about certain trans fatty acids, among others, some of which are dangerous. An optimal HS-Omega-3 Index® should be in the range of 8-11 percent. Omegametrix analyzes the entire fatty acid spectrum and is the only laboratory in Europe that determines the HS-Omega-3 Index® and provides a scientifically based value of the relative proportion of EPA and DHA in the membrane of the erythrocytes.
Foto: Prof. Dr. C. von Schacky, Omegametrix GmbH
Source: Arash Asher, Nathan L. Tintle, Michael Myers, Lura Lockshon, Heribert Bacareza, William S. Harris: Blood omega-3 fatty acids and death from COVID-19: A Pilot Study. . Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2021, e-pub Jan 20. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plefa.2021.102250
About Omegametrix GmbH
The HS-Omega-3 Index® was invented and defined in 2002 by Prof. Dr. W.S. Harris, Sanford University, USA and Prof. Dr. C. von Schacky, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, and founder of Omegametrix. These two scientists have done extensive work to standardize the measurement methodology so that it now meets the highest quality criteria in clinical chemistry (constancy testing, plausibility testing, interlaboratory testing, quality management, etc.). This measurement methodology is called “HS-Omega-3 Index®” (“high sensitivity” or “Harris Schacky”) after its inventors. More than 320 publications in international journals are based on the HS-Omega-3 Index®, moreover, about 50 research projects are in progress all over the world. In addition to the standardized methodology, this uniquely comprehensive scientific database is the basis for the use of the HS-Omega-3 Index® in routine clinical diagnostics. No other fatty acid analysis can claim this. This means that only with the HS-Omega-3 Index® you really know what the results mean.
Omegametrix was founded in 2007 and is an international reference laboratory for the determination of the Omega 3 Index. We determine your HS-Omega-3 Index® and can help you to live a healthy and long life.
Contact Omegametrix
Prof. Clemens von Schacky, CEO
Am Kloperspitz 19
82152 Planegg-Martinsried
Tel: +49 89 55063007
E-Mail: ue.xirtemagemo@ykcahcsnov.c
Website: www.omegametrix.eu
About Innovation and Start-up Center for Biotechnology (IZB) in Martinsried near Munich
The Fördergesellschaft IZB mbH, founded in 1995, is the operating company of the Innovation and Start-up Centers for Biotechnology in Planegg-Martinsried and Freising-Weihenstephan, which have developed into a leading biotechnology center. Over 50 biotech companies with over 700 employees are currently located on 26,000 m2 in Planegg-Martinsried. Here, work is being carried out on developing drugs against the most serious diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and various autoimmune diseases. An essential criterion for the success of the IZBs is the spatial proximity to top research on the Martinsried / Grosshadern campus. The new infrastructure features such as the Faculty Club G2B (Gateway to Biotech), the IZB Residence CAMPUS AT HOME, the Elhardt Chemistry College, the two kindergartens Bio Kids and Bio Kids2, as well as the two restaurants SEVEN AND MORE and Café Freshmaker are location factors that are very much appreciated by company founders. Successful companies that have emerged from the IZB are, for example, Medigene AG, MorphoSys AG, Micromet GmbH (today Amgen AG), Octopharma GmbH, Corimmun (today Janssen-Cilag), Rigontec GmbH (today MSD), ibidi GmbH, Coriolis GmbH and Immunic Therapeutics. More information at www.izb-online.de
Press contact and requests for images:
Susanne Simon, Head of Press and Public Relations
Fördergesellschaft IZB mbH, Innovation and Start-up Center for Biotechnology
Am Klopferspitz 19, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried
Tel.: +49 (0) 89/55 279 48-17, E-Mail: ed.enilno-bzi@nomis
Website: www.izb-online.de
