Lee Swanson Research Update

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help Statins Protect The Heart

May 2007

People taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins who also consume omega-3 fatty acids—typically found in fish and fish oil—have a better chance of avoiding heart problems than patients who take statins alone, according to a study published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet.

In the study, called the "Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study," 18,645 people were assigned to receive either 1,800 mg of the omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) every day, plus a statin, or a statin alone.

During an average follow-up of 4.6 years, the researchers found a 19% reduction in major coronary events among patients taking EPA. Patients taking EPA also had 19% fewer non-fatal events—including non-fatal heart attack, unstable angina and coronary revascularization—than people taking statins alone.

"Our study shows that long-term use of EPA at therapeutic doses is effective for prevention of major coronary events in hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) patients given statins in Japan who consume a large amount of fish," said lead researcher Dr. Mitsuhiro Yokoyama.

Sickness and death from coronary artery disease is very low in Japan in comparison with the United States and northern Europe, Yokoyama said. "This difference might be explained partly due to differences in dietary habits, including fish consumption. We want to know whether our results can be generalized to other populations who consume a small intake of fish and have very high mortality from coronary artery disease," he said.

The Lancet 369(9567):1090-1098, 2007

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