Replies to post #115225 on Biotech Values

[jessellivermore]

Good question...

As far as ischemic strokes would imagine they decided to confine the parameters to cardiac events and outcomes...

The answer to the quiz revolves around a factor the "experts" seemingly missed. It is very likely their opinions might have been quite different if they had accounted for it...

PS...You are far to smart to get any further clues...LOL

":<) JL

[biomaven0]

Here's the stroke analysis they reported:

Stroke. 2008 Jul;39(7):2052-8. Epub 2008 May 1.
Reduction in the recurrence of stroke by eicosapentaenoic acid for hypercholesterolemic patients: subanalysis of the JELIS trial.

Tanaka K, Ishikawa Y, Yokoyama M, Origasa H, Matsuzaki M, Saito Y, Matsuzawa Y, Sasaki J, Oikawa S, Hishida H, Itakura H, Kita T, Kitabatake A, Nakaya N, Sakata T, Shimada K, Shirato K; JELIS Investigators, Japan.

Department of Neurology, Toyama University Hospital, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan. [e-mail]

Erratum in:

* Stroke. 2008 Sep;39(9): e149.

Comment in:

* Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2009 Nov;11(6):399-400.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The JELIS trial examined the preventive effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) against coronary artery diseases. Hypercholesterolemic patients received statin only (no EPA group: n=9319) or statin with EPA (EPA group: n=9326) for around 5 years. EPA significantly suppressed the incidence of coronary events in previous analysis. Herein, we investigated the effects of EPA on the primary and secondary prevention of stroke.

METHODS: We conducted a subanalysis of JELIS with respect to stroke incidence in the primary and secondary prevention subgroups defined as those without and with a prior history of stroke using Cox proportional hazard ratios, adjusted for baseline risk factor levels.

RESULTS: As for primary prevention of stroke, this occurred in 114 (1.3%) of 8862 no EPA group and in 133 (1.5%) of 8841 EPA group. No statistically significant difference in total stroke incidence (Hazard Ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.95 to 1.22) was observed between the no EPA and the EPA groups. In the secondary prevention subgroup, stroke occurred in 48 (10.5%) of 457 no EPA group and in 33 (6.8%) of 485 EPA group, showing a 20% relative reduction in recurrent stroke in the EPA group (Hazard Ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.64 to 0.997).

CONCLUSIONS: Administration of highly purified EPA appeared to reduce the risk of recurrent stroke in a Japanese population of hypercholesterolemic patients receiving low-dose statin therapy. Further research is needed to determine whether similar benefits are found in other populations with lower levels of fish intake. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (number NCT00231738).

[MTB]

DD,

This especially true in the Japanese population, who overall have relatively low levels of heart disease, but relatively high levels of CVA's.

JL, a HMS grad looks especially bright when compared with the article's Hopkins doc who blesses us with the insight, "A lot of sudden death occurs in individuals who have not had a previous heart attack . . . The first manifestation of disease [sudden death] is something that patients typically can't recover from." :)

MTB