Optimal Result:
0.15 - 2.26 %.
Food sources:
Herring, salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout
Physiological Function:
→ Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that participates in the health of cellular membranes, mediates lipid actions, and reduces inflammatory responses in the body.
→ EPA and DHA influence the types of inflammatory response mediators made in favor of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids such as leukotrienes, prostaglandins, and thromboxanes. EPA and DHA are also noted for moderate to strong anti-depressant effects.
→ Specific to EPA, it has been shown to suppress signaling of TNF-α in adipocytes.
→ EPA also increases cerebral oxygenation.
→ EPA appears to have some beneficial influence on regulating levels of leptin and increasing adiponectin.
→ EPA may enhance adaptive immunity by stimulating B cell responsiveness.
Lab Results Explained and Tracked
All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results Easily
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results
Import lab results from multiple providers, track changes over time, customize your reference ranges, and get clear explanations for each result. Everything is stored securely, exportable in one organized file, and shareable with your doctor—or anyone you choose.
Cancel or upgrade anytime
What does it mean if your EPA (RBC) result is too low?
How it gets depleted:
Lower dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids is the primary reason for deficiency of EPA, or low levels of EPA. Certain genetic polymorphisms such as reduced activity of the FADS1 and FADS2 genes may lead to reduced conversion of ALA into EPA and DHA.
Clinical Manifestations of Depletion:
EPA can be manufactured in the body from ALA, as well as retroconverted from DHA. However, relying solely on intake of ALA to provide adequate levels of EPA is not recommended due to poor or inefficient conversion from ALA to EPA.
Lower levels of EPA or deficient intake of EPA have been linked to increased risk for cardiovascular disease, arrhythmia, blood clots, heart attacks, stroke, elevated triglyceride levels, increased growth of atherosclerotic plaque, reduced vascular endothelial function, skin cancer, and increased inflammation.
Lower levels of EPA are also associated with lower brain mass in older adults.
Food Sources:
Good sources of EPA include: fatty fish such as Pacific herring, salmon, oysters, tuna, and omega-3 enriched eggs.
Food sources of ALA, the essential fatty acid EPA precursor include: flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, chia seeds, walnuts, and canola oil.
Supplement Options:
Currently, no official dietary intake recommendations have been established.
Several official health organizations have proposed a minimum dietary intake level of 500 mg/day of EPA+DHA. Because the efficiency of conversion of ALA to EPA is so low, supplementing EPA is generally recommended to meet therapeutic doses.
High dose supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids (including EPA) has been shown to reduce the need for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).
Persons suffering from ulcerative colitis have been shown to need fewer corticosteroids when supplementing with high dose omega-3 fatty acids.
Adverse side effects observed with high dose omega-3 fatty acids from supplement form include gastrointestinal upset and loose stools.
Omega-3 supplements including EPA and DHA should be used with caution in persons with clotting disorders or on anti-clotting medication.
Article Review & Sources
All our content is backed by peer-reviewed studies, academic research, and trusted medical sources. We're committed to accuracy and transparency — see our editorial policy for details.
Laboratories
Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place
We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.
Pricing Table
Gather Your Lab History — and Finally Make Sense of It
Finally, Your Lab Results Organized and Clear
Personal plans
$79/ year
Advanced Plan
Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track all results with visual tools
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export your full lab history anytime
- Share results securely with anyone
- Receive 5 reports entered for you
- Cancel or upgrade anytime
$250/ once
Unlimited Account
Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track all results with visual tools
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export your full lab history anytime
- Share results securely with anyone
- Receive 10 reports entered for you
- No subscriptions. No extra fees.
$45/ month
Pro Monthly
Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track lab results for multiple clients
- Customize reference ranges per client
- Export lab histories and reports
- Begin with first report entered by us
- Cancel or upgrade anytime
About membership
What's included in a Healthmatters membership
Import Lab Results from Any Source
See Your Health Timeline
Understand What Your Results Mean
Visualize Your Results
Data Entry Service for Your Reports
Securely Share With Anyone You Trust
Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story
Once your results are in one place, see the bigger picture — track trends over time, compare data side by side, export your full history, and share securely with anyone you trust.
Bring all your results together to compare, track progress, export your history, and share securely.
What Healthmatters Members Are Saying
I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Anthony
Unlimited Plan Member since 2021
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.
