The REDUCE-IT (Reduction of Cardiovascular Events with Icosapent Ethyl-Intervention Trial) demonstrated a significant reduction in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk using a treatment strategy of high-dose omega-3 icosapent ethyl compared to placebo in statin-treated patients with elevated triglycerides (150 mg/dL or more) and well-controlled low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). There was a 25% cardiovascular (CV) risk reduction (composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, coronary revascularization, or unstable angina) in those who have received the high-dose omega-3 icosapent ethyl in comparison to those received placebo. One limitation of randomized trials is that their populations may not accurately reflect those treated in everyday clinical practice.
Therefore, we would like to use UK Biobank to select populations that included ASCVD patients who are on statin therapy. Then, we will split the groups up to patients who reflects the REDUCE-IT inclusion and exclusion criteria with or without diabetes and those who do not reflect the trial. Additionally, we will split the groups based on triglycerides into three groups – normal, elevated and very elevated. With these groups, we will evaluate the characteristics, management and cardiovascular outcomes, such as MACE, death, hospitalisation due to heart failure in the UK individiuals. We will calculate the event rate and odds ratio, using SPSS. Then, we will compare this to results of REDUCE-IT to identify the applicability or differences in results from a clincial trial like REDUCE-IT and observational data, UK Biobank. This will hopefully identify the unmet medical need to find other therapeutic strategies to help reduce the residual risk of cardiovascular outcomes in patients with high triglycerides.
