PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Meta-analysis finds that omega-3 fatty acids improved cardiovascular outcomes

Reduction in cardiovascular risk was greatest for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) alone rather than combination of EPA and another omega-3 fatty acid

2021-07-08
(Press-News.org) For decades, there has been great interest in whether omega-3 fatty acids can lower rates of cardiovascular events. In 2018, results from the Reduction of Cardiovascular Events with Icosapent Ethyl-Intervention Trial (REDUCE-IT) were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and showed that a high dose of a purified ethyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in patients at elevated cardiac risk significantly reduced cardiovascular events. Results from the trial led to US. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada, and European Medicines Agency approval of the prescription drug icosapent ethyl for reducing cardiovascular risk in patients with elevated triglycerides, as well as updates to worldwide guidelines. But prior and subsequent studies of omega-3 fatty acid supplements that combine EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have had mixed results. Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and elsewhere conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 38 randomized controlled trials of omega-3 fatty acids. Overall, they found that omega-3 fatty acids improved cardiovascular outcomes. Results, now published in eClinical Medicine, showed a significantly greater reduction in cardiovascular risk in studies of EPA alone rather than EPA+DHA supplements.

"REDUCE-IT has ushered in a new era in cardiovascular prevention," said senior author Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, the executive director of Interventional Cardiovascular Programs at the Brigham and lead investigator of the REDUCE-IT trial. "REDUCE-IT was the largest and most rigorous contemporary trial of EPA, but there have been other ones as well. Now, we can see that the totality of evidence supports a robust and consistent benefit of EPA."

Bhatt and colleagues performed a meta-analysis of 38 randomized clinical trials of omega-3 fatty acids, including trials of EPA monotherapy and EPA+DHA therapy. In total, these trials included more than 149,000 participants. They evaluated key cardiovascular outcomes, including cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal cardiovascular outcomes, bleeding, and atrial fibrillation. Overall, omega-3 fatty acids reduced cardiovascular mortality and improved cardiovascular outcomes. The trials of EPA showed higher relative reductions in cardiovascular outcomes compared to those of EPA+DHA.

The researchers note that there are crucial biological differences between EPA and DHA -- while both are considered omega-3 fatty acids, they have different chemical properties that influence their stability and strength of the effect that they can have on cholesterol molecules and cell membranes. No trials to date have studied the effects of DHA alone on cardiovascular outcomes.

"This meta-analysis provides reassurance about the role of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically prescription EPA," said Bhatt. "It should encourage investigators to explore further the cardiovascular effects of EPA across different clinical settings."

INFORMATION:

REDUCE-IT was sponsored by Amarin. Brigham and Women's Hospital receives research funding from Amarin for the work Bhatt did as the trial chair and as the international principal investigator. The present analysis was unfunded.

Paper cited: Khan SU et al. "Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" eClinical Medicine DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100997



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

A summary of myocarditis cases following COVID-19

2021-07-08
Myocarditis-or inflammation around the heart--has been reported in some patients with COVID-19. After searching the medical literature, researchers have now summarized the results of 41 studies describing myocarditis in 42 patients with COVID-19. The analysis, which is published in the END ...

How does endometriosis influence women's work life?

2021-07-08
In women in their mid-40s to early 50s, endometriosis--a condition in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus--was linked with poor work ability and more sick days, but not with unemployment or early retirement. The findings, which are published in END ...

Yoga helps reduce work-related stress

2021-07-08
Physical relaxation through yoga or other practices can help reduce work-related stress, according to an analysis of studies conducted in healthcare staff. The analysis, which is published in the END ...

Has the COVID-19 pandemic lessened bullying at school?

2021-07-08
Students reported far higher rates of bullying at school before the COVID-19 pandemic than during the pandemic across all forms of bullying--general, physical, verbal, and social--except for cyber bullying, where differences in rates were less pronounced. The findings come from a study published in END ...

What is the evidence on how to improve older adults' functional abilities at home?

2021-07-08
A new analysis called an evidence and gap map has mapped what we know about improving the functional ability of older adults living at home or in nursing homes, retirement homes, or other long-term care facilities. A total of 548 studies were included in the map, which is published in END ...

How can counselors address social justice amid climate change?

2021-07-08
We're currently living in what many scientists are calling the Anthropocene, the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. An article published in the END ...

How experiencing diverse emotions impacts students

2021-07-08
Experiencing a variety of positive emotions--or emodiversity--may benefit high school students, according to a study published in the END ...

Improving transparency of integrated assessment models related to climate change

2021-07-08
Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) connect trends in future socio-economic and technological development with impacts on the environment, such as global climate change. Critics have taken issue with the transparency of IAM methods and assumptions as well as the transparency of assessments of IAMs by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. An article published in END ...

Study: Hospitalizations for eating disorders spike among adolescents during COVID

2021-07-08
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The number of adolescents admitted to the hospital for severe illness from eating disorders has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research suggests. At one center, the number of hospital admissions among adolescents with eating disorders more than doubled during the first 12 months of the pandemic, according to the study that appears in a pre-publication of Pediatrics. The 125 hospitalizations among patients ages 10-23 at Michigan Medicine in those 12 months reflect a significant increase over previous years, as admissions related to eating disorders ...

Cell-type-specific insight into the function of risk factors in coronary artery disease

Cell-type-specific insight into the function of risk factors in coronary artery disease
2021-07-08
Using single cell technology, a new study sheds light on the significance of genetic risk factors for, and the diversity of cells involved in, the development of coronary artery disease. The researchers analysed human atherosclerotic lesions to map the chromatin accessibility of more than 7,000 cells. The chromatin accessibility is known to reflect active regions and genes in the genome. The findings were published in Circulation Research. Genome-wide association studies of the human genome have identified over 200 loci associated with coronary artery disease. More than 90% of them ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] Meta-analysis finds that omega-3 fatty acids improved cardiovascular outcomes
Reduction in cardiovascular risk was greatest for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) alone rather than combination of EPA and another omega-3 fatty acid