Assessing Omega-3 Therapy and Its Cardiovascular Benefits: What About Icosapent Ethyl? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Abstract
Background: Lipid-lowering therapies are an option for stabilizing lipid levels. Icosapent ethyl (IPE) is a highly purified formulation of eicosapentaenoic acid, which can reduce lipid action, improve plaque stabilization, reduce platelet aggregation, lower TG, and prevent cardiovascular events. IPE is frequently used with statins to manage elevated TG levels. However, the evidence on IPE as a lipid-lowering agent is limited, and no updated systematic review and meta-analysis have been published considering the recent advancements in the field and newly published studies. Therefore, we aim to fill this gap. Methods: We used the PRISMA guidelines and the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) framework to conduct this review, aiming to answer the question, “Can IPE benefit patients at cardiovascular risk?” GRADE was used to evaluate evidence levels to adhere to the highest criteria. Results: Predominantly, the evaluated population presented TG levels between ≥135 mg/dL and 500 mg/dL and LDL-C levels between >40 mg/dL and ≤100 mg/dL. The included studies showed a reduction in TG and LDL-C and a decrease in cardiovascular events. It means that, according to our systematic review evidence analysis, IPE has been effective in lowering blood lipid levels, including TG, and reducing cardiovascular death and events, such as non-fatal stroke or hospitalization for unstable angina. However, it is worth noting that these results were primarily from patients undergoing…
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