Aims: Omega-3 fatty acids and fenofibrates have shown some beneficial cardiovascular effects; however, their efficacy has not been compared. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of currently available omega-3 fatty acids and fenofibrate for reducing major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).
Methods and results: From a nationwide population-based cohort in South Korea (2008-2019), individuals with metabolic syndrome (≥30 years) who received statin with omega-3 fatty acids and those receiving statin with fenofibrate were matched by propensity score (n = 39 165 in both groups). The primary outcome was MACE, including ischaemic heart disease (IHD), ischaemic stroke (IS), and death from cardiovascular causes. The risk of MACE was lower [hazard ratio (HR), 0.79; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.74-0.83] in the fenofibrate group than in the omega-3 fatty acid group. Fenofibrate was associated with a lower incidence of IHD (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.67-0.77) and hospitalization for heart failure (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-0.97), but not IS (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.81-1.00) nor death from cardiovascular causes (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.97-1.17). The beneficial effect of fenofibrate compared to omega-3 fatty acids was prominent in patients with preexisting atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and those receiving lower doses of omega-3 fatty acids (≤2 g per day).
Conclusion: In a real-world setting, fenofibrate use was associated with a lower risk of MACE compared with low-dose omega-3 fatty acids when added to statins in people with metabolic syndrome.
Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular diseases; Dyslipidaemias; Fenofibrate; Metabolic syndrome; Omega-3 fatty acids.
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.