Omega 3 Index Home Blood Test Kit
While scientists have long known the benefits of omega-3s for overall health, over the past decade research has proven that fish and fish oil dramatically reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and that omega-3 levels are among the best predictors of future coronary heart disease.
The Omega-3 Index measures the amount of EPA and DHA omega-3s in red blood cells and is expressed as a percent of total fatty acids. The results of the test are represented by a score that can be used to assess you risk of heart disease, with a score of 4% or less indicating higher risk and a score of 8% or more indicating relatively low risk.
The Omega-3 Index has been shown to be a better predictor of heart disease, and especially sudden cardiac death, than traditional coronary heart disease risk factors including LDL and HDL cholesterol. Individuals with a high Index have a decrease in the relative risk for sudden cardiac death by as much as 90%.
The science behind the Omega-3 Index has been validated by data from large-scale human clinical studies including the Physicians’ Health Study (PHS), which involved 14,916 healthy male physicians. In these studies the Omega-3 Index was clearly related to risk of having a heart attack.
Your Omega-3 Index cannot be predicted with certainty without analyzing your blood. Many factors including age, sex, weight, dietary and genetic factors, smoking, medications you may be taking, other medical conditions, as well as the source and quality of omega-3s and how they are consumed, can all influence your body’s response to EPA and DHA in your diet.
The Gene Smart Omega 3 Index test
Gene Smart is the first to make the Omega-3 Index blood test available directly to individuals as a convenient, at home “finger stick” test that measures both your Omega 3 Index and your Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio.
The Gene Smart test uses the HS-Omega-3 Index ® methodology, which is the same methodology used in the clinical studies that validated the correlation between the Omega-3 Index and heart disease risk.
The Gene Smart Omega-3 Index gives you a direct indicator of whether you are getting enough Omega-3s in your diet to impart maximum protection from heart disease. If your Omega-3 Index is below the optimum level, you can decrease your risk by adding more Omega-3s to your diet through fish or Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements.
The Omega-3 Index is thought to be an independent risk factor that is not influenced by other risk factors like cholesterol or blood pressure. All risk factors, including the Omega-3 Index should be addressed as part of an overall approach to reducing heart health risk.
Step 1. Purchase your Omega-3 Index Heart Health Test – Click here
Step 2. Receive your home test kit through the mail
Your kit will be sent to you by US mail to the shipping address provided during the checkout process. The kit is typically mailed within one business day of placing your order.
Step 3. Collect your blood sample
The home test kit contains all the materials you need for your finger stick blood test. Simply follow the detailed instructions. The kit uses a small spring loaded lancet device and you will feel a faint sting on your finger when it is used. Apply a drop of blood to the collection card and let the sample dry for 15-20 minutes.
Step 4. Mail your blood sample
After 15-20 minutes, place the collection card in the enclosed plastic bag along with the desiccant pack. Seal the bag and place it in the pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope. Seal the envelope and drop it in the mail on the same day as collecting the sample!
Step 5. Receive your results
Within about two weeks you will receive your lab results folder in the mail. The folder includes a customized report*, explanation of results and a range of resources to help you make and sustain changes to your diet.
Step 6. Turn your results into action
Now that you are empowered with your results, use the resources received with your results folder to begin to take steps to achieve or maintain your omegas at optimal health promoting levels.