Blood draw
Omega-3 Fatty Acid Profile
EPA, DHA, total fatty acids and the omega-3 index in whole blood.
€ 87,00
All tests
Heart and vessels · Blood
Total fatty acids
The total amount of fatty acids in your blood; mainly the basis for calculating the omega-3 index.
At a glance
- Measured in blood
- In 1 test panel
- Check the preparation
Explanation
Total fatty acids: what is measured?
The laboratory measures the total amount of fatty acids in whole blood (EDTA blood), in milligrams per liter: all fatty acids together, such as omega-3, omega-6 and saturated fatty acids. This number is mainly used as a basis for calculation: the omega-3 index is EPA plus DHA as a percentage of the total fatty acids. The amount of fatty acids is linked to the fats in the blood, such as triglycerides and cholesterol, and to what you ate shortly before the blood draw.
What can it detect?
- The basis for calculating the omega-3 index (EPA plus DHA as a percentage of the total fatty acids)
- A rough impression of the amount of fat in the sample, which can usually be read better from triglycerides and cholesterol
Result
What does the result mean?
Total fatty acids too high
A high total amount of fatty acids usually means that there is a lot of fat in the blood, for example after a meal or alcohol, or with high triglycerides and high cholesterol. On its own, this is not a disease and not a measure of risk: what counts is the distribution over the individual fatty acids and the standard lipid profile with total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides. A high value causes no symptoms. Without the lipid profile alongside it, a high value cannot be interpreted.
Total fatty acids too low
A low total amount of fatty acids fits a fasting blood draw, a low-fat diet or low blood fats. On its own, this has no known harmful meaning and causes no symptoms. A low value can make the calculated omega-3 index less accurate, because small measurement differences then weigh more heavily.
After an abnormal result
An abnormal value for total fatty acids does not lead to further tests on its own. If needed, the GP looks at the standard lipid profile, in which high triglycerides are repeated while fasting.
Reliability
How reliable is the test?
Total fatty acids are not a risk marker and not a diagnostic test, and there are no cut-off values. The value mainly serves as the denominator for the omega-3 index. The risk of cardiovascular disease is estimated with the standard lipid profile, blood pressure, age, sex and smoking status; according to the multidisciplinary guideline on cardiovascular risk management, extra biomarkers in the blood add little to this.
What can affect the result?
- The value depends strongly on what and when you ate and drank; a non-fasting blood draw gives higher values.
- This result is an amount in whole blood (mg/l); other laboratories measure in plasma or red blood cells or use other units, so results cannot be compared with each other.
- There are no Dutch reference values; the limits on a result come from the laboratory itself.
- The value says nothing about the ratio between healthy and unhealthy fatty acids.
Preparation
- Do not eat anything for 12 hours before the sample is taken and drink only water. After a meal the fatty acids in your blood are temporarily higher.
Who it is for
Who is the test useful for?
Useful for
The value belongs with the omega-3 index and is not ordered on its own. As a stand-alone result it has no meaning for your health; it is intended to make it possible to calculate the omega-3 index. If you want to know something about your risk of cardiovascular disease, the standard lipid profile together with blood pressure, smoking status, age and sex is more useful.
How common is it?
There are no Dutch figures on total fatty acids in the blood, because the test is not done as standard. It is known, however, that lipid metabolism disorders are common: in 2024, over 1.6 million people were known to their GP with one.
No figures for this test; VZinfo (RIVM) for lipid metabolism disorders, 2024
Drawbacks and risks
- A result without Dutch reference values can cause unnecessary worry or unnecessary further tests, while the value is only intended as a basis for calculation.
Get tested
Total fatty acids: test panels
Total fatty acids is part of these test panels. You order online and have your blood drawn at a collection point or collect the sample at home.
Evidence
Sources
This explanation is based on Dutch guidelines and independent information. It is general information, not a diagnosis. Discuss an abnormal result with your GP.
More about risks and results- Voedingscentrum: Omega 3 en omega 6 (advies Gezondheidsraad)
- FMS Richtlijnendatabase, richtlijn CVRM: Voeding bij CVRM
- FMS Richtlijnendatabase: CVRM, module Andere voorspellers van het risico op hart- en vaatziekten
- NVKC, allesovertesten.nl: Lipidenprofiel
- VZinfo (RIVM): Cholesterol, op basis van Nivel Zorgregistraties Eerste Lijn 2024
More explanations
Other tests: Heart and vessels
- Apo B/A1 ratio
- Apolipoprotein A1
- Apolipoprotein A2
- Apolipoprotein B
- Cholesterol, total
- Cholesterol/HDL ratio
- DHA
- EPA
- HDL cholesterol
- HDL-LDL risk index
- Homocysteine
- LDL cholesterol