EPA in the prevention of restenosis post PTCA

The effect of fish oil on restenosis was evaluated in patients undergoing coronary balloon angioplasty. In addition to routine pharmacotherapy, subjects were given 2.8 g of eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) daily. Treatment was started within twenty-four hours after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). After six months of therapy, participants were subjected to coronary arteriography, exercise scintigraphy, exercise electrocardiography, or clinical evaluation. Follow-up evaluation involved 97 coronary lesions in 85 patients. Partial or significant restenosis occurred in 36.5% of patients and 33% of vessels. The presence of severe stenosis before PTCA, dissection, thrombus, multilesion PTCA, and template bleeding time values were not correlated with restenosis. Dilation of the left anterior descending (LAD) and a residual stenosis greater than or equal to 35% were associated with restenosis. Approximately 20% of the patients related difficulty in taking the fish oil. Furthermore, these results show no advantage over expected restenosis rates.