Taking fatty acids commonly found in fish along with cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins provides additional protection against heart attacks and other heart risks, according to a large Japanese study presented on Monday, according to Reuters. The 18,645-patient long-term study tested the effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) -- a form of omega-3 fatty acid -- plus statins versus statins alone in patients with high cholesterol. The study, presented at the American Heart Association's annual scientific meeting, found a 19 percent reduction in a variety of adverse heart events in the EPA-plus-statins group, researchers said. "These results appear to justify the use of fish oil/omega-3 fatty acids since they can add to the beneficial effects of statins," said the study's lead author, Dr Mitsuhiro Yokoyama, chief of cardiovascular and respiratory medicine at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine. Cholesterol-lowering statins, such as Pfizer Inc.'s Lipitor and Merck & Co.'s Inc.'s Zocor, are the world's most widely used prescription drugs. --More 2257 Local Time 1957 GMT
