Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes
The Japan Eicosapentaenoic acid Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS) tested the effects of long-term use of E-EPA (1800 mg/day) in addition to a statin in Japanese patients with hypercholesterolemia. The results suggest that the addition of E-EPA to statin therapy prevents major coronary events, angina pectoris and clinical myocardial infarctions, apparently through mechanisms independent from regulation of the lipid metabolism. It has been suggested that the cardioprotective action of E-EPA is probably mediated by its anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, E-EPA may improve the clinical outcome in type 2 diabetes and its cardiovascular complications, such as coronary artery disease and thickening of carotid arteries. E-EPA may on the one hand reduce the platelet-derived microparticles (PDMP) and on the other enhance the cardioprotective hormone adiponectin in hyperlipidemic, diabetic patients. According to Japanese mice studies, E-EPA may prevent and correct non-alcoholic fatty liver. In July 2012, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Amarin Corporation's prescription drug Vascepa for severe hypertriglyceridemia.
Read more about this topic: Ethyl Eicosapentaenoic Acid