Compositions and methods for lowering triglycerides without raising LDL-C levels in a subject on concomitant statin therapy

1. A method of lowering triglycerides in a subject on statin therapy having baseline fasting triglycerides of about 200 mg/dl to less than 500 mg/dl, the method comprising determining a baseline fasting triglyceride level and a baseline fasting apolipoprotein B (“Apo B”) level of about 217 mg/dl or about 227 mg/dl associated with the subject; and thereafter administering to the subject about 2 grams or about 4 grams per day of ethyl eicosapentaenoate, wherein after the administering an Apo B level associated with the subject is lower than the baseline fasting Apo B level compared to a second subject who has received statin therapy but not the ethyl eicosapentaenoate.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a baseline fasting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (“LDL-C”) level associated with the subject before the administering, wherein an LDL-C level associated with the subject after the administering is not increased compared to the baseline fasting LDL-C level.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is administered about 2 grams per day of ethyl eicosapentaenoate, and wherein the triglycerides are lowered by about 10% compared to a second subject who has received statin therapy but not the ethyl eicosapentaenoate.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the subject is administered about 2 grams per day of ethyl eicosapentaenoate, and wherein the triglycerides are lowered by about 10% compared to a second subject who has received statin therapy but not the ethyl eicosapentaenoate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is administered about 4 grams per day of ethyl eicosapentaenoate, and wherein the triglycerides are lowered by about 21% compared to a second subject who has received statin therapy but not the ethyl eicosapentaenoate.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the subject is administered about 4 grams per day of ethyl eicosapentaenoate, and wherein the triglycerides are lowered by about 21% compared to a second subject who has received statin therapy but not the ethyl eicosapentaenoate.

7. A method of lowering triglycerides in a subject on statin therapy having baseline fasting triglycerides of about 200 mg/dl to less than 500 mg/dl, the method comprising determining a baseline fasting triglyceride level and a baseline fasting very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (“VLDL-C”) level of about 225 mg/dl or about 233 mg/dl associated with the subject, and thereafter administering to the subject about 2 grams or about 4 grams per day of ethyl eicosapentaenoate, wherein after the administering an VLDL-C level associated with the subject is lower than the baseline fasting VLDL-C level compared to a second subject who has received statin therapy but not the ethyl eicosapentaenoate.

8. A method of lowering triglycerides in a subject on statin therapy having baseline fasting triglycerides of about 200 mg/dl to less than 500 mg/dl, the method comprising determining a baseline fasting triglyceride level and a baseline fasting lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (“LP-PLA 2 ”) level of about 217 mg/dl or about 224 mg/dl associated with the subject, and thereafter administering to the subject about 2 grams or about 4 grams per day of ethyl eicosapentaenoate, wherein after the administering an LP-PLA 2 level associated with the subject is lower than the baseline fasting LP-PLA 2 level compared to a second subject who has received statin therapy but not the ethyl eicosapentaenoate.

9. A method of lowering triglycerides in a subject on statin therapy having baseline fasting triglycerides of about 200 mg/dl to less than 500 mg/dl, the method comprising determining a baseline fasting triglyceride level, a baseline fasting LDL-C level of about 82 mg/dl, a fasting baseline Apo B level of about 217 mg/dl or about 227 mg/dl, a fasting baseline VLDL-C level of about 225 mg/dl or about 233 mg/dl, and a fasting baseline Lp-PLA 2 level of about 217 mg/dl or about 224 mg/dl associated with the subject, wherein after the administering levels of LDL-C, Apo B, VLDL-C and Lp-PLA 2 associated with the subject are lower than the baseline fasting levels compared to a second subject who has received statin therapy but not the ethyl eicosapentaenoate.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the subject receives about 2 grams of ethyl eicosapentaenoate per day.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the subject receives about 4 grams of ethyl eicosapentaenoate per day.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein the subject has a baseline fasting LDL-C level of about 82 mg/dl.