It’s Official: Prescription Fish Oil
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the prescription fish oil Vascepa for expanded use on Friday, December 13. The approval for the medication is for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients under the following conditions:
- Triglycerides above 150 mg/dl for everyone with diagnosed CVD and taking a statin medication.
- Diabetes and two or more additional risk factors for CVD along with taking a statin medication.
The modifiable risk factors for CVD include smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, and sedentary living. Remember from our prior series, secondary prevention may help reduce the risk of CVD symptoms developing.
My concerns are the same as they were before. Triglycerides less than 250 mg/dl can be resolved by diet and exercise in most people. Because the mechanism of action is unknown as to how the prescription works, there’s no reason to think that reducing triglycerides by lifestyle change won’t work as well as the prescription; the clinical trial didn’t track this data.
Speaking of lifestyle change, keep in mind the website specials on the Optimal Performance program as we get ready for the New Year. The Basic Meal Plan will teach you how to change your diet to reduce triglyceride levels if your levels are too high.
What are you prepared to do today?
Dr. Chet
References:
1. http://bit.ly/36EbsYK
2. N Engl J Med 2019;380:11-22. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1812792.
