The key difference between Vascepa and fish oil is that Vascepa contains only eicosapentaenoic acid, whereas fish oil contains both eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.
Vascepa and fish oil are two commercially available dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Vascepa is the brand name of ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid. Fish oil is oil obtained from the tissues of oily fish.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Vascepa
3. What is Fish Oil
4. Vascepa vs Fish Oil in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Vascepa vs Fish Oil
What is Vascepa?
Vascepa is the brand name of ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid. It is a medication useful in treating dyslipidemia and hypertriglyceridemia. We can use this medication in combination with changes in diet in adults having hypertriglyceridemia. Moreover, it is often used with a statin. Usually, Vascepa is made from omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid. After the approval of the FDA in 2012, it became the second fish-oil-based medication after omega-3 acid ethyl esters (brand name is Lovaza).
Figure 02: Chemical Structure of Ethyl Eicosapentaenoic Acid
There can be some common side effects of this medication: musculoskeletal pain, peripheral edema, atrial fibrillation, and arthralgia. Moreover, there can be some other side effects such as bleeding, constipation, gout, and rash. The approval from FDA for this medication has been given as a generic medication. The chemical formula of ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid is C22H34O2.
Vascepa is useful mainly as a dietary supplement. It is a fish-oil-based drug other than omega-3-acid ethyl esters and omega-3 carboxylic acids. These three dietary supplements have similar uses and mechanisms of action.
The active metabolite of Vascepa is eicosapentanoic acid. It appears to reduce the production of triglycerides in the liver and to enhance the clearance of triglycerides from the circulation of the very low-density lipoprotein particles. The potential mechanisms of action for this medication include increased breakdown of fatty acids, inhibition of diglyceride acyltransferase, and increased activity of lipoprotein lipase in the blood.
What is Fish Oil?
Fish oil is oil obtained from the tissues of oily fish. Fish oil usually contains omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. These are the precursors of certain eicosanoids that can reduce the inflammation of the body and can improve the hypertriglyceridemia condition.
Figure 02: Fish Oil Capsules
Recent findings have proved that fish oil supplements can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, it is also useful in a wide variety of other conditions, including clinical depression, anxiety, cancer, and macular degeneration.
Although the source of fish oil is fish, they do not actually produce omega-3 fatty acids. They accumulate the acids by consuming either microalgae or prey fish consisting of omega-3 fatty acids.
The most common dietary source of eicosapentaenoic acid is cold-water oily fish, including salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines. The content of omega-3 fatty acids in these types of fish is about 7 times higher than the content of omega-6 fatty acids.
What is the Difference Between Vascepa and Fish Oil?
Vascepa is the brand name of ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid. Fish oil is an oil obtained from the tissues of oily fish. The key difference between Vascepa and fish oil is that Vascepa contains only eicosapentaenoic acid, whereas fish oil contains both eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.
The below infographic presents the differences between Vascepa and fish oil in tabular form for side by side comparison.
Summary – Vascepa vs Fish Oil
Vascepa and fish oil are two commercially available dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids. The key difference between Vascepa and fish oil is that Vascepa contains only eicosapentaenoic acid, whereas fish oil contains both eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.
Reference:
1. “Vascepa: Uses, Dosage & Side Effects.” Drugs.com.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Ethyl eicosapentaenoate” By Edgar181 (talk) – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Lachsölkapsel” By Marco Almbauer – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia