Is There an Alternative to Statin Therapy?

Not everyone is a candidate for statins and exercise and Slow Release Niacin are two very effective ways to raise HDL and have and effect on TG’s too. Just wanted to add there are many ways to benefit TG’s and cardiovascular health. Reports show a favorable effect for low dose omega-3 fatty acids on the decreasing risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack, cardiac arrest and stroke, in patients with a history of heart attack who did not use statin drugs.

Just 400mg per day! When tested, the effects of 400 milligrams per day of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), vs. a placebo were evaluated to assess risk of major cardiovascular events in post-heart attack patients between the ages of 60 and 80 years. Participants were followed for an average of 41 months.

Over the follow-up period, 13 percent of statin users and 15 percent of non-statin users experienced a major cardiovascular event. While neither placebo or ALA alone reduced cardiovascular events in those who used statins, among those who did not use the drugs, consuming all three omega-3 fatty acids EPA, DHA and ALA ( like those found in nutrametrix Heart Health n3) was associated with less than half the rate of experiencing an event compared to placebo.

Daan Kromhout and colleagues note that, “Although adding omega-3 fatty acids to statin therapy leads to significant reductions in triglyceride levels, it has also been suggested that the use of guideline-concordant statin therapy dilutes the effects of omega-3 fatty acids such that no additional protective effect is observed.

As I read it- This hypothesis then supports the reduction in cardiovascular events through either fatty fish or EPA–DHA in trials where benefits were seen to a greater extent in the one-third of the participants were not on statin therapy.

“The present study indicates that low-dose supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids might reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events in statin non-users with a history of myocardial infarction,” the authors conclude. “These results contribute to the explanation of the inconsistent results on the effects of omega-3 fatty acids in secondary prevention trials.” ( those studies were done with participants on statin post MI)