ASCEND: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements Do Not Prevent Serious Vascular Events in Diabetics

The use of omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid supplements, often in the form of fish oil, was not associated with a reduction in serious adverse vascular events in patients with diabetes, according to new research presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2018 in Munich.  

The researchers, publishing the manuscript in the New England Journal of Medicine, randomly assigned 15,480 patients with diabetes and without apparent cardiovascular disease to receive 1 gram of n-3 fatty acid supplements or matching placebo (olive oil) daily. The primary study endpoint was the first serious vascular event (nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, transient ischemic attack, or vascular death), with a secondary endpoint of serious first vascular event or arterial revascularization. Patients were followed for a mean of 7.4 years. 

ASCEND: In this multicenter randomized placebo-controlled trial, supplementation with omega-3 fatty acid did not reduce the risk of serious vascular events in people with diabetes without CVD at study entry. https://t.co/q62hLKfgHH #ESCCongress pic.twitter.com/LROsXuAJlb

— NEJM (@NEJM) August 26, 2018

According to the study results, serious adverse vascular events happened in 689 (8.9%) patients in the fatty acid group vs. 712 (9.2%) in the placebo group (P=0.55). The primary study outcome (or revascularization) occurred in 882 patients (11.4%) in the fish oil group compared to 887 (11.5%) in the placebo group (rate ratio=1.00; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.09). There were no significant between-group differences in nonfatal serious adverse event rates.  

“ASCEND provides robust data from one of the longest-duration and largest studies of omega-3 fatty acid supplements, offering some certainty about their lack of any clear benefit, although they appear to be safe,” Louise Bowman, BA, MBBS, MRCP, MD, of the University of Oxford, said in an ESC 2018 conference report. “This supports recent meta-analyses findings and should lead to reconsideration of guideline recommendations.” 

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ASCEND Omega-3: In 15,480 diabetic pts w/ no hx of CVD, 1g Omega-3 daily showed no sig. diff from plac on primary comp. endpt of serious vascular events or on incident cancer.

Download the full slide set on https://t.co/derTxBnjuX here: https://t.co/RW9BDFLxPj#ESCcongress pic.twitter.com/B3QMoTQIc6

— C. Michael Gibson MD (@CMichaelGibson) August 27, 2018

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Source: New England Journal of Medicine