Research · PMID 30415628
Reviewed by Neal Rouzier, MD, Preventive Medicine · Sep 2026
Cardiovascular Risk Reduction with Icosapent Ethyl for Hypertriglyceridemia.
The New England journal of medicine · January 2019 · Deepak L Bhatt, P Gabriel Steg, Michael Miller, Eliot A Brinton, Terry A Jacobson, et al.
What this study found
Among patients with elevated triglyceride levels despite the use of statins, the risk of ischemic events, including cardiovascular death, was significantly lower among those who received 2 g of icosapent ethyl twice daily than among those who received placebo. (Funded by Amarin Pharma; REDUCE-IT ClinicalTrials.gov num…
How RAGMD uses this study
Clinical questions this paper informs
Synthesis lives on the evidence question — this page shows where the study sits in that analysis.
Primary study
Do omega-3 supplements prevent cardiovascular disease in the general population?
High-dose EPA (icosapent ethyl) reduced events in selected high-risk statin-treated patients in REDUCE-IT. General over-the-counter omega-3 supplements show inconsistent or null benefit in primary prevention populations.
Open evidence analysisSupporting literature
Does hormone therapy improve metabolic syndrome markers?
Menopausal hormone therapy may favorably affect some metabolic markers in selected women but is not a primary treatment for metabolic syndrome. Lifestyle and cardiometabolic risk management remain foundational.
Open evidence analysisSupporting literature
Can hormone therapy help insulin resistance in peri- and postmenopausal women?
Some studies show improved insulin sensitivity with estrogen-based therapy in early postmenopause, but results are not uniform across regimens. HRT should not replace evidence-based diabetes prevention or treatment.
Open evidence analysisSupporting literature
Does testosterone therapy affect blood pressure?
Testosterone effects on blood pressure are modest and inconsistent across trials. Monitoring blood pressure remains part of routine TRT follow-up, especially with fluid retention or erythrocytosis.
Open evidence analysisSupporting literature
Should aspirin be used for primary cardiovascular prevention?
Current guidelines generally discourage routine aspirin for primary prevention in low-to-moderate-risk adults because bleeding harm offsets modest benefit. Select high-risk individuals may still be considered with shared decision-making.
Open evidence analysisSupporting literature
Does vitamin D supplementation reduce mortality or major disease?
Meta-analyses show vitamin D supplementation does not significantly reduce all-cause mortality in unselected populations. Targeted repletion may benefit those with documented deficiency.
Open evidence analysisSupporting literature
Does magnesium supplementation improve metabolic health markers?
Trials in deficient or at-risk individuals show modest improvements in some glycemic and blood pressure markers, but routine supplementation for metabolic disease prevention is not strongly supported in general populations.
Open evidence analysisSupporting literature
Does DHEA supplementation improve health outcomes in aging adults?
DHEA raises circulating androgens and estrogens modestly but lacks robust outcome trial evidence for cardiovascular, cognitive, or mortality benefit in healthy aging adults without documented deficiency.
Open evidence analysisSupporting literature
When is growth hormone replacement appropriate in adults?
Growth hormone replacement is evidence-supported for adults with confirmed GH deficiency from pituitary disease, improving body composition and quality of life. Use in healthy aging or performance enhancement lacks safety and efficacy evidence.
Open evidence analysis