A new study conducted by Frost & Sullivan through a grant from the Council for Responsible Nutrition Foundation (CRNF), projects that if U.S. adults over the age of 55 with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) took omega-3 dietary supplements at specific preventive intake levels, it could lead to significant savings in health care costs.
 
According to the report, nearly $4 billion in cumulative net CHD-attributed cost savings from 2013 to 2020 is potentially possible if the entire targeted population (U.S. adults over the age of 55 diagnosed with CHD) were to use omega-3 dietary supplements at preventive intake levels. This is the equivalent of more than one million hospital events avoided in the next seven years, the report stated. Additionally, the report identified that only 28% of the targeted population currently takes omega-3 supplements, meaning that 72% of the targeted population have yet to benefit.
 
“Our country is faced with a serious problem when it comes to sick care and rising health care costs,” said Steve Mister, president, CRNF. “Taking dietary supplements, such as omega-3s, is not a magic bullet by any means, but it’s one preventive measure that should be considered along with eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly to potentially help maintain a healthy heart. Given the costs of treating medical events that result from CHD, simple steps like this can help reduce health care costs, too.”
 
To achieve the results, Frost & Sullivan conducted a systematic review of scientific research that focused on published studies that looked at the relationship between omega-3 supplementation and the risk of a CHD-attributed event and quantified the reduction in medical events attributed to that usage. The firm then projected the rates of CHD-attributed medical events across U.S. adults over the age of 55 with CHD and applied a cost benefit analysis to determine the cost savings if people in this targeted population took omega-3 supplements at preventive intake levels.
 
The full Frost & Sullivan economic report and accompanying materials, including an omega-3 infographic, are available for free at www.supplementforsmartprevention.org.

The Council for Responsible Nutrition will also be discussing the finding of this report in an upcoming webinar titled, “Are Vitamins Worth It? The Science Behind Benefits, Safety and Health Care Cost Savings.”
 
As part of its series of free webinars for pharmacists and nurse practitioners, in partnership with Skipta, CRN’s president and CEO Steve Mister, along with CRN’s senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, Duffy MacKay, N.D., will discuss recent news coverage about vitamins and will also examine how these products are regulated.
 
The webinar will take place on February 13th at 12:00 PM EST, and will also be available on demand following the live event.