A recent study reveals that combination of omega-3 supplements and statin therapy appears to improve coronary plaque regression, leading to lower risks of cardiovascular events.
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| Photo: Statin and Omega-3 Combination | InStyleHealth |
Sourcing from databases of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane,
experts gathered eight eligible studies that utilized various imaging techniques
to assess the coronary atherosclerotic plaques. Statin’s effect alone was compared
with the combination with omega-3 supplements.
Cumulative sample involving 803 participants, where
52.4% received the combination therapy, while 47.6% were given the monotherapy
control. The pooled analysis of 5 randomized controlled trials or RCTs revealed
that the combination of statins and supplement significantly slowed the
progression of coronary plaque volume.
There were 6 studies that provided evidence regarding lipid
volume, of which 2 were RCTs. Omega-3 and statin combination significantly
delayed the progression of lipid volume of coronary plaques relative to
monotherapy.
Regarding blood chemistry, the combination therapy
intervention also led to significantly lower levels of high-sensitivity
C-reactive protein. However, no such effect was reported for high- and low- density
lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations.
Researchers said that omega-3 combined with statins is
superior to the statin treatment group in stabilizing and promoting coronary
plaque regression and may help to further reduce the occurrence of
cardiovascular events.
Source: Am J Cardiol 2021;151:15-24