EFFICACY OF HIGH-DOSE OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS IN MANAGING HYPERTRIGLYCERIDEMIA AND REDUCING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY EVIDENCE

Abstract

Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a critical modifiable risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. To evaluate the efficacy of high-dose marine lipids, a structured systematic review was executed. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, electronic database searches across PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar yielded an initial 1,800 records. After removing 400 duplicates, 1,400 unique records were screened by title and abstract, resulting in the exclusion of 120 papers. Out of 1,280 full-text articles rigorously assessed for eligibility, 1,250 papers were excluded due to non-randomized controlled trial designs or insufficient dosing durations under six weeks, leaving a final selection of 30 distinct studies. Prescription omega-3 interventions consistently lowered fasting triglyceride parameters. Highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) monotherapy significantly reduced major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), whereas combined EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) formulations demonstrated inconsistent clinical efficacy. In patients with concurrent type 2 diabetes, therapeutic omega-3 regimens generated robust triglyceride reductions alongside strong anti-inflammatory responses, though high-dose administrations were associated with a modest increase in the relative risk of incident atrial fibrillation. In conclusion, high-dose prescription omega-3 fatty acids are a potent tool for mitigating HTG, with purified EPA providing more reliable reductions in MACE compared to mixed formulations.