Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction in Mild-Moderate Hypertriglyceridemia: Integrating Prescription of Omega-3 with Standard Treatment

Abstract

Purpose of review: This reviews aims to evaluate the role of omega-3 for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction in mild-moderate hypertriglyceridemia.

Recent findings: Epidemiological and Mendelian randomization studies have demonstrated that hypertriglyceridemia is strongly correlated to CVD. Even in patients with optimal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, triglycerides remain an important predictor to lower residual cardiovascular risk. In addition to screening, lifestyle intervention, and LDL-C lowering with statins for hypercholesterolemia (and other agents if needed), additional pharmacological therapies may be indicated to lower residual CVD risk in patients with persistent elevated triglyceride levels. Low-dose combinations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid have failed to reduce CVD in primary prevention. A recent trial evaluating high-dose purified EPA (icosapent ethyl) in mild-moderate hypertriglyceridemic statin-treated patients with or at high-risk atherosclerotic CVD demonstrated a clear benefit on cardiovascular outcomes. The recent REDUCE-IT trial shed light on omega-3 therapy. High-dose icosapent ethyl, a highly purified ethyl ester of EPA, reduced the risk of CVD events in statin-treated hypertriglyceridemic patients at elevated cardiovascular risk. Therefore, omega-3 therapy using high-dose icosapent ethyl should be recommended in statin-treated high-risk patients at high residual CVD risk and mild to moderate elevation of triglycerides. While icosapent ethyl demonstrated a benefit in these patients, drug class effect cannot be assumed and further investigations are warranted to examine the effects of other omega-3 agents at high doses.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular events; Dyslipidemia; Hypertriglyceridemia; Icosapent ethyl; Triglyceride.