Combination therapy with prescription omega-3-acid ethyl esters and statin improves non-HDL-C more effectively than statin alone

Abstract

Evaluation of: Bays HE, McKenney J, Maki KC, Doyle RT, Carter RN, Stein E: Effects of prescription omega-3-acid ethyl esters on non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol when coadministered with escalating doses of atorvastatin. Mayo Clin. Proc. 85(2), 122–128 (2010).

Non-HDL-C is an important parameter of cardiovascular risk but many patients do not achieve non-HDL-C target values by monotherapy with a statin. In this study, the effects of combined treatment with prescription omega-3 fatty acid ethyl esters plus escalating dosages (10, 20 and 40 mg/day) of atorvastatin on non-HDL-C and other lipid parameters were investigated in a 20-week, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 245 patients with high non-HDL-C. Such a combination treatment reduced median non-HDL-C levels more than the treatment with atorvastatin alone but also caused a significant decrease of total cholesterol, VLDL‑C and triglycerides and an increase in HDL-C and LDL-C, in the median percentage change from baseline. When compared with the placebo group, a therapeutic approach that incorporates a combination of these drugs for atherogenic dyslipidemia treatment could be widely adopted since such a therapy might offer a means to increase the number of patients that meet their non-HDL-C and other lipoprotein goals according to guidelines. However, it has to be stated that data on cardiovascular outcomes of such a combination treatment are still lacking.

Keywords:

• atorvastatin
• combination therapy
• dyslipidemia
• omega-3 fatty acid
• statin