Fish oil; a new resolution for heart patients

• A clinical trial taken by the pharmacist found out the drug, called Vascepa which helps in reducing rate of cardiovascular events with history of heart diseases and also Type-2 Diabetes. 

• The main reason for the this cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are the fats that is integrated into the blood

  

Triglycerides

• Triglycerides are type of fat present in our body. 

• When we eat, our body converts the calories which are not used into triglycerides. These triglycerides are stored in the fat cells of the body. Later, the hormones uses the triglycerides between the meals, during workouts or at daily chores. 

• If you regularly eat calories or taking more inputs containing carbohydrates than you burn, you might become prey of high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia). The high secretion of triglycerides causes increased risk of heart diseases.

• The new trial, called the Reduce-IT focuses on people with high cholesterol level controlled with the help of statins but whose triglycerides level are high. The new trial with statin treated patients who have high triglycerides are prescribed with doses of purified EPA (eicosapentaenoic), which reduces 25% of heart attack risk compared to those prescribed with placebo.

• The median baseline of the triglycerides were person is at risk of hypertriglyceridemia is 216 milligram per deciliter which is well above the cut-off of 150 milligrams per deciliter which is considered as normal level.

• Though there are misconception that triglycerides and cholesterol are same. But triglycerides and cholesterol are different types of lipids that circulates in our body:
• Triglycerides stores unused calories and provide the body with energy.
• Cholesterol are used to build up cells and certain hormones.

Fish oil

• Fish oil is prescribed by doctors to those patients suffering from cardiovascular events. It contains Omega-3 fatty acids, primarily EPA and DHA, which reduces the inflammation in the body and lower the triglycerides. Omega-3 fatty acids have blood-thinning effect similar to that of aspirin.

• But until now the fish oil used for the heart disease has not been proved successful. Many believed that these trial were flawed as relies on doses that are too small or that they have failed to choose the right patients for the benefits.

• The new trial which include the fish oil supplement cannot be purchased from the supermarket or pharmacy. Vascepa is a prescription drug which contains highly purified EPA. Fish oil on the other hand is the mixture of EPA and DHA.

• EPA and DHA are similar but have slightly different effect. Both lower the level of triglycerides but unlike EPA, DHA tends to raise the LDL, the so called bad cholesterol.