Table 1.

Comparison of three major trials of omega-3 fatty acids reported in 2018. ASCEND: A Study of Cardiovascular Events in Diabetes; VITAL: Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial; REDUCE-IT (the Reduction of Cardiovascular Events with Icosapent Ethyl-Intervention Trial; CVD: cardiovascular disease; TG: triglycerides; EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid; DHA: docosahexaenoic acid; CHD: coronary heart disease

RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL	COUNTRY	SAMPLE SIZE/SUBJECT TYPE	YEARS OF FOLLOW-UP	EPA+DHA DOSE	FINDINGS
ASCEND5	United Kingdom	15,480/patients with type 2 diabetes	7.4	840 mg	Composite end point not significantly altered
					Risk for vascular death ↓ by 19% (95% CI, 1%–33%)
VITAL4	United States	25,871/older adults without history of CVD or cancer	5.3	840 mg	Composite end point not significantly altered
					Risk for heart attack ↓ by 28% (95% CI, 10%–41%)
					Risk for total CHD ↓ by 17% (95% CI, 3%–29%)
REDUCE-IT6	International (11 countries)	8,179/statin-treated patients with median TG levels of 216 mg/dL and other CVD risk factors	4.9	3,600 mg (EPA only)	Primary CVD end point ↓ by 26%
					Significant reductions in several secondary end points