Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Magical Thinking' About Vitamin D's Effect On Cancer And Fish Oil's Effect On Heart Health Upended In Sweeping Study
The New York Times: Vitamin D And Fish Oils Are Ineffective For Preventing Cancer And Heart Disease
In recent years, many Americans have embraced vitamin D and fish oil pills, their enthusiasm fueled by a steady trickle of suggestive research studies linking higher levels of vitamin D with lower rates of cancer and other ills, and fish consumption with reduced heart disease. Now a large and rigorous government-funded randomized trial — the only such study of omega-3 fish oils ever carried out in healthy adults, and the largest trial ever done of high-dose vitamin D — has found the supplements do not lower cancer rates in healthy adults. (Rabin, 11/10)
The Washington Post: Fish-Oil Drugs Protect Heart Health, Two Studies Say
The large, multiyear research efforts tested different formulations and quantities of drugs made with Omega-3 fatty acids on two groups of people: one that suffered from cardiovascular disease or diabetes and another that represented the general population. Both studies found that people who took the drugs every day enjoyed protection against some heart and circulatory problems compared with those given a placebo. In a look at another commonly consumed supplement, vitamin D, researchers found no effect on heart disease but saw a link to a decline in cancer deaths over time. (Bernstein, 11/10)
Kaiser Health News: Fish Oil And Vitamin D Pills No Guard Against Cancer Or Serious Heart Trouble
Although hundreds of studies of these supplements have been published over the years, the new clinical trial — a federally funded project involving nearly 26,000 people — is the strongest and most definitive examination yet, said Dr. Clifford Rosen, a senior scientist at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute who was not involved in the research. Doctors have been keenly interested in learning the supplements’ true value, given their tremendous popularity with patients. A 2017 study found that 26 percent of Americans age 60 and older take vitamin D supplements, while 22 percent take pills containing omega-3 fatty acids, a key ingredient in fish oil. (Szabo, 11/10)
Stat: Detailed Results Show Amarin Fish Oil Drug Offered A Major Cardiovascular Benefit — But Come With A Blemish
Fresh clinical trial results released Saturday by high-flying biopharma Amarin have confirmed the heart-protecting benefits of Vascepa, its prescription drug derived from fish oil, suggesting it could become a blockbuster therapy, potentially prescribed to millions of Americans. The company said in September that its treatment significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular events compared with a placebo. Detailed results from the trial, known as REDUCE-IT, showed Vascepa cut the risk of death, heart attack, and stroke — the three most important cardiovascular events — by 26 percent. (Feuerstein, 11/10)
In other heart health news —
The Associated Press: Heart Meeting Features Fish Oil, Vitamin D, Cholesterol News
Good news for everyone: You no longer have to fast before a blood test to check cholesterol. Don't stop at the doughnut shop on your way to the clinic, but eating something before the test is OK for most folks, the guidelines say. They're from the Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology and are endorsed by many other doctor groups. No authors had financial ties to drugmakers. (Marchione, 11/11)
Stat: Generic Arthritis Drug Comes Up Short Against Inflammation In Heart Disease
The trial, called the Cardiovascular Inflammation Reduction Trial (CIRT) and sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, tested methotrexate in people who had previous heart attacks or strokes in addition to having diabetes or metabolic syndrome, which can lead to inflammation. Methotrexate was an attractive option because people who took the relatively inexpensive, oral drug to treat their rheumatoid arthritis also appeared in observational studies to have lower rates of heart disease. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago. (Cooney, 11/10)
