CME/CE Test

New Updates on Fish Oil in Heart Failure Prevention

You must achieve a minimum score of 75% to earn credit for this activity.
To receive AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, you must receive a minimum score of
75% on the post-test.

1. You are seeing a 64-year-old man who has been referred by his physician for
chronic disease management. He has a history of diabetes and
hypertriglyceridemia despite treatment with a statin. You consider starting him on
treatment with icosapent ethyl. In REDUCE-IT, icosapent ethyl was associated
with lower rates of all of the following outcomes vs placebo except:

Myocardial infarction

Stroke

Atrial fibrillation

Cardiovascular (CV) death

2. On the basis of the results of the current meta-analysis by Block and colleagues,
which one of the following omega-3 PUFAs was significantly associated with a
lower risk for heart failure?

DHA only

EPA only

Both DHA and EPA

Neither DHA nor EPA

 Below are all the test questions with an explanation of the correct answer.

1. You are seeing a 64-year-old man who has been referred by his physician for
chronic disease management. He has a history of diabetes and
hypertriglyceridemia despite treatment with a statin. You consider starting him on
treatment with icosapent ethyl. In REDUCE-IT, icosapent ethyl was associated
with lower rates of all of the following outcomes vs placebo except:

Answer: Atrial fibrillation

REDUCE-IT demonstrated that the IE treatment group experienced a significant
25% reduction in the risk for a composite of CV death and major CV events
compared with placebo. Rates of stroke and myocardial infarction were
significantly lower in the IE group, and the hazard ratio for CV death in
comparing the IE and placebo groups was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.66-0.98). IE was
associated with a higher risk for atrial fibrillation than placebo, and it was
associated with a nonsignificant increase in the risk for serious bleeding events.

2. On the basis of the results of the current meta-analysis by Block and colleagues,
which one of the following omega-3 PUFAs was significantly associated with a
lower risk for heart failure?

Answer: Both DHA and EPA

The current study finds that plasma concentrations of both EPA and DHA are
inversely associated with the risk for heart failure.