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AA:EPA Ratio: Your Omega-6 to Omega-3 Balance
All NiaHealth tests are processed in Canadian-certified labs, which are highly trusted by the medical community for their accuracy and reliability. Blood and urine samples are collected by licensed medical professionals and processed using state-of-the-art equipment. NiaHealth is SOC2 Type 2 certified.
What is it?
The AA:EPA ratio measures the balance between two fatty acids circulating in the blood: arachidonic acid (AA), an omega-6 fatty acid involved in inflammatory signaling, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an omega-3 fatty acid that helps regulate inflammatory responses. The ratio reflects the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory lipid signaling pathways.
Why it matters
Although both AA and EPA play important roles in normal physiology, the relative balance between them matters. A higher AA:EPA ratio has been associated with increased inflammatory signaling and may be linked to higher cardiovascular risk and metabolic dysfunction in some populations. Diet strongly influences this ratio, and increasing omega-3 intake through foods such as fatty fish or through supplementation can help lower the ratio.
Reference ranges
The following literature-based cutoffs will be used to interpret the EPA:AA ratio: a value below 1.3 is considered optimal, a range of 1.3 to 10 is classified as normal, and a ratio above 10 is considered at risk. A higher AA:EPA ratio may reflect low omega-3 intake, diets high in omega-6 fatty acids, or an increased inflammatory signaling profile. Improving omega-3 intake through diet or supplementation may help improve this ratio.
The reference range for AA:EPA ratio reflects recommendations from multiple published research studies. Your AA:EPA ratio should be interpreted in conjunction with your other results to get the best understanding of your overall cardiac risk profile and health status.
Egalini, F., Guardamagna, O., Gaggero, G., Varaldo, E., Giannone, B., Beccuti, G., Benso, A., & Broglio, F. (2023). The effects of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids on glucose metabolism: An updated review. Nutrients, 15(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15122672
Nagahara, Y., Motoyama, S., Sarai, M., Ito, H., Kawai, H., Takakuwa, Y., Miyagi, M., Shibata, D., Takahashi, H., Naruse, H., Ishii, J., & Ozaki, Y. (2016). Eicosapentaenoic acid to arachidonic acid (EPA/AA) ratio as an associated factor of high risk plaque on coronary computed tomography in patients without coronary artery disease. Atherosclerosis, 250, 30–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2016.04.026
Nelson, J. R., & Raskin, S. (2019). The eicosapentaenoic acid:arachidonic acid ratio and its clinical utility in cardiovascular disease. Postgraduate Medicine, 131(4), 268–277. https://doi.org/10.1080/00325481.2019.1607414
Ohnishi, H., & Saito, Y. (2013). Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) reduces cardiovascular events: relationship with the EPA/arachidonic acid ratio. Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis, 20(12), 861–877. https://doi.org/10.5551/jat.18002
This information is educational and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Your results should be interpreted with a qualified healthcare professional in the context of your health history.
