Sponsored Satellite Program: Making Sense of Omega-3 Headlines: Recent Evidence on Cardiovascular Outcomes and Public Health Implications

Panel Discussion (Sponsored Satellite Program)

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

1:35 PM – 2:00 PM EDT

Sponsored By:

Over the past several decades, a great deal of research has investigated the effects of omega-3 EPA and DHA on cardiovascular health and mortality. Several authoritative statements have been issued by regulatory agencies and scientific societies, based on the body of evidence linking intake of EPA and DHA to reduced cardiovascular disease risk. However, equivocal results in some recent clinical trials have created confusion about this relationship. The publication of three large trials (ASCEND, REDUCE-IT and VITAL) between 2018 and 2019 has greatly increased the evaluable body of clinical evidence. A recent meta-analysis of supplementation trials, including these three large trials, reported that EPA and DHA positively impacted several important cardiovascular outcomes in a dose-response manner. Pharmaceutical doses of EPA and DHA, or EPA alone, have been shown to be an effective treatment for hypertriglyceridemia but some recent results have been inconsistent. In this session we will explore the public health implications of these findings and discuss whether it is time to establish a DRI for long-chain omega-3 fatty acids based on this new evidence.

Learning Objectives:

To respond to questions regarding the results of the VITAL trial, with a focus on omega-3 fatty acids and CVD endpoints.
To respond to questions regarding our updated meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials of omega-3 fatty acids and CVD (including 13 randomized trials).

Panel Moderator(s)

Nathan V. Matusheski, PhD

Lead Scientist, Nutrition Science and Advocacy
DSM Nutritional Products, LLC
Parsippany, New Jersey, United States

Speaker(s)

Penny M. Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, FAHA, FNLA, FASN, CLS

Distinguished Professor of Nutrition
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH

Chief, Division of Preventive Medicine
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Kevin C. Maki, PhD, CLS, FNLA, FTOS, FACN

President and Chief Scientist
Midwest Biomedical Research, Addison, IL; MB Clinical Research, Boca Raton, FL;Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Addison, Illinois, United States