A double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the American Journal of Cardiology (epublished June 15, 2011) evaluated the effects of a highly purified omega-3 fatty acid supplement on triglyceride levels. The study included 229 patients with fasting triglyceride levels between 500 and 2,000 mg/dL. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 4 grams per day or 2 grams per day of an omega-3 product containing 96% ethyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), or a placebo. Among patients whose baseline triglyceride levels were greater than 750 mg/dL, triglycerides were reduced by 45.4% in those taking 4 grams per day and by 32.9% in those taking 2 grams per day. The authors concluded that EPA supplementation significantly lowered triglyceride levels and improved other lipid parameters without significantly increasing LDL cholesterol.