Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Cardiovascular Event Lowering.

Abstract

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is the main target for therapeutics aimed at reducing the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and downstream cardiovascular (CV) events. However, multiple studies have demonstrated that high-risk patient populations harbor residual risk despite effective LDL-C lowering. While data support the causal relationship between triglycerides and ASCVD risk, triglyceride-lowering therapies such as omega-3 fatty acids have shown mixed results in cardiovascular outcomes trials. Notably, icosapent ethyl, a purified formulation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), has garnered compelling evidence in lowering residual cardiovascular risk in patients with hypertriglyceridemia and treated with statins. In this review, we summarize studies that have investigated omega-3-fatty acids for CV event lowering and discuss the clinical implementation of these agents based on trial data and guidelines.