REDUCE-IT study: with omega-3 supplements, 25% fewer serious cardiovascular events
Deaths from vascular causes, nonfatal heart attacks, and coronary revascularization-these are some of the serious cardiovascular events whose risk can be reduced by Omega 3. Confirmation from a new study that again proves their effectiveness.
The link between Omega 3 intake and reduced heart health risks is real. Confirming the protective efficacy of these fatty acids are the results of the REDUCE-IT (Reduction of Cardiovascular Events with EPA Intervention Trial) study released by Amarin Corporation plc, a pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing solutions to improve cardiovascular health. The detailed results of REDUCE-IT will be presented on Nov. 10 in Chicago, U.S., during the American Heart Association's Annual Scientific Session. Already a few days ago, however, Amarin released news that the study showed that taking a supplement capable of providing 4 grams per day of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid, one of the Omega 3s needed by the human body associated with better cardiovascular health) is associated with a 25 percent reduction in the relative risk of being in the throes of serious cardiovascular events-specifically, deaths from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, coronary revascularization, or unstable angina with the need for hospitalization.
Omega 3, efficacy confirmed by large-scale intervention study
REDUCE-IT was conducted by an international team of researchers led by Deepak Bhatt, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, U.S., and involved more than 8,000 patients treated with statins (drugs widely used to keep blood levels of cholesterol - an important cardiovascular risk factor - in check). From a cholesterol perspective, then, the participants could consider themselves safe: LDL (the so-called "bad" cholesterol) levels were kept in the normal range (between 41 and 100 mg/dl, to be precise) by drug therapy. However, these were patients at high cardiovascular risk due to other factors. Specifically, the participants had high triglyceride levels (between 150 and 499 mg/dl) associated with a cardiovascular disorder, or diabetes and at least one other cardiovascular risk factor. The statistically significant 25% reduction in the relative risk of serious cardiovascular events observed in this study puts to rest the doubts raised by recent reviews of randomized controlled trials on the effects of Omega 3, confirming 2 limitations:
- disregarding the daily dosage of Omega 3, sometimes below the amounts needed to observe a significant effect;
- The failure to take into account the cardiovascular risk of the patients involved.
With its high dosage (4 grams per day) and careful selection of participants, REDUCE-IT was able to overcome these limitations and bring out the benefits of Omega 3.
Omega 3 and cardiovascular health
The association between Omega 3 and cardiovascular health has been known for several decades. The first indications of its existence date back to the 1970s. At that time, researchers noted the reduced incidence of cardiovascular disorders typical of Greenland Eskimo populations, characterized by a diet rich in Omega 3 sources and a particularly high level of these fatty acids in platelet membranes. Numerous researches have accumulated a substantial body of data in favor of the potential protective role played by Omega 3 towards the heart and arteries. In light of this data, Efsa (the European Food Safety Authority) has authorized the use of health claims that EPA and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, another Omega 3 associated with cardiovascular health benefits):
- help maintain normal blood triglyceride levels;
- help maintain normal blood pressure ;
- contribute to the proper functioning of the heart.
However, randomized controlled trials that have evaluated the effects of Omega 3 intake on cardiovascular health have produced mixed results. Nevertheless, even before the conclusion of REDUCE-IT, one effect appeared quite clear: the reduction in the risk of death from cardiac causes. The new results anticipated by Amarin further confirm the benefits of Omega 3.
Sources: Amarin Corporation plc. https://goo.gl/QvBZPR. 27/09/18 Dyerberg J and Bang HO. Haemostatic function and platelet polyunsaturated fatty acids in Eskimos. Lancet. 1979 Sep 1;2(8140):433-5 European Commission. EU Register of nutrition and health claims made on foods. https://goo.gl/faHW7R. 25/09/18 Maki KC and Dicklin MR. Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Glass Half Full or Time to Nail the Coffin Shut? Nutrients. 2018 Jul 4;10(7). doi: 10.3390/nu10070864 Maki KC et al. Use of supplemental long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and risk for cardiac death: An updated meta-analysis and review of research gaps. J Clin Lipidol. 2017 Sep - Oct;11(5):1152-1160.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2017.07.010 The Goed Current - Breaking News. REDUCE-IT Results: Statistically Significant 25% Risk Reduction in Major Adverse CV Events. 2018 September 24 Image:Pixabay
