Omega-3-acid ethyl esters reduce CVD risk
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (O3-PUFAs) have been attributed to the maintenance of heart health. Omega-3 EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic) acid, in the form of ethyl esters, are of particular interest in cardiovascular disease and specifically for post myocardial infarction patients.
The landmark GISSI-P study (1999) of patients who had suffered recent myocardial infarction found that dietary supplementation with 1g/day containing 850mg-882mg EPA and DHA as ethyl esters in a 1.2:1 ratio led to clinically significant decreases in the risk of:
• Overall and cardiovascular death;
• Non-fatal myocardial infarction; and
• Stroke.
The GISSI-P and GISSI-HF trials confirmed the safety of omega-3 ethyl ester treatment as an adjunct to the multi-agent therapy that characterizes modern CVD management.
Associate Professor David Colquhoun, from Queensland, supports the use of omega-3-acid ethyl esters to reduce CVD risk:
“Of particular interest is a recently published trial where 2g/day EPA and DHA ethyl esters in patients following bypass surgery decreased the risk of late mortality by 50% (absolute risk reduction [ARR] 4%; unadjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36 to 0.73 p=0.0002).
Moreover, in the GISSI-HF trial, the additional use of 1g/day EPA and DHA omega-3 ethyl ester treatment further improved survival by 10% (absolute risk reduction [ARR] 1.8%). A sub-group analysis demonstrated even greater survival benefit for diabetics (risk reduction [RR] 11%; absolute risk reduction [ARR] 4.4 %). 2 Finally, EPA/DHA ethyl esters have also been shown to improve heart function on serial Echo studies up to 5% (p=0.005).''
Treating patients who have survived a cardiac event or who have established CVD can be fraught with compliance issues, due to polypharmacy concerns.
Omega-3-acid ethyl esters containing EPA and DHA have been associated with clinically proven health benefits for post myocardial infarction patients.
This simple and safe treatment in addition to other standard therapy (antiplatelet agents, statins, beta-blockers, ACE-Is) and in the context of usual care, provides a beneficial advantage in treating CVD.