. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2025 Jan 1.

Published in final edited form as: Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2023 Nov 2;44(1):89–107. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.122.318125

Table 3.

Randomized Controlled Trials of EPA and DHA Supplementation in Primary Prevention of CVD by Sex and Race

Study Year	# subjects Female/male	Mean age Follow-up	Race ethnicity	Characteristics (exposure) n-3 type and dosage Baseline triglyceride and % reduction	Endpoint	Outcome of the exposure or intervention
Vital¹⁷ 2019 2020¹⁸	25,871 Female=13,085 (50.6%)	Median age 67.1±7.1 5.3 years	5,106 Black (20.2%)	860 mg EPA+DHA vs placebo No triglyceride data	Major CVD events Total group Men Women MI, secondary outcome Total group Men Women Black Non-Hispanic White Others	Nonfatal stroke, nonfatal MI & CVD death HR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.80-1.06. HR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.76-1.10 Women: HR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.76-1.15 28% ↓; HR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.59-0.99 HR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.55-0.95 HR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.52-1.03 HR: 0.23; 95% CI: 0.11-0.47 HR: 0.93; 95 % CI: 0.73-1.18 HR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.23-1.26
Ascend¹⁹ 2018 All with DM	15,480 37.4% female- didn’t report separately or adjust for sex	63.3±9.2 7.4 years	96.5% white	460 mg EPA 380 DHA vs 1 g olive oil No triglyceride data	Nonfatal MI, nonfatal stroke, TIA and vascular death	No difference

Abbreviations: ASCEND indicates Study of Cardiovascular Events in Diabetes; CI, confidence interval; CVD, cardiovascular disease; DHA, docosahexaenoic acid; DM, diabetes mellitus; EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid; g, gram; HR, hazard ratio; MI, myocardial infarction; n-3, omega-3; TIA, transient ischemic attack; VITAL, VITamin D and OmegA-3 Trial.