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n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids, fatal ischemic heart disease, and nonfatal myocardial infarction in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study.
Tuesday,2012-11-06 12:06 America/Los_Angeles — eenright
| Title | n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids, fatal ischemic heart disease, and nonfatal myocardial infarction in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2003 |
| Authors | Lemaitre, RN, King, IB, Mozaffarian, D, Kuller, LH, Tracy, RP, Siscovick, DS |
| Journal | Am J Clin Nutr |
| Volume | 77 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pagination | 319-25 |
| Date Published | 2003 Feb |
| ISSN | 0002-9165 |
| Keywords | Aged, alpha-Linolenic Acid, Biomarkers, Case-Control Studies, Cohort Studies, Coronary Disease, Dietary Supplements, Docosahexaenoic Acids, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Female, Fish Oils, Humans, Incidence, Male, Myocardial Infarction, Odds Ratio, Phospholipids, Prevalence, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors |
| Abstract | <p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>Little is known about the relation of the dietary intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, ie, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from fatty fish and alpha-linolenic acid from vegetable oils, with ischemic heart disease among older adults.</p><p><b>OBJECTIVE: </b>We investigated the associations of plasma phospholipid concentrations of DHA, EPA, and alpha-linolenic acid as biomarkers of intake with the risk of incident fatal ischemic heart disease and incident nonfatal myocardial infarction in older adults.</p><p><b>DESIGN: </b>We conducted a case-control study nested in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a cohort study of adults aged > or = 65 y. Cases experienced incident fatal myocardial infarction and other ischemic heart disease death (n = 54) and incident nonfatal myocardial infarction (n = 125). Matched controls were randomly selected (n = 179). We measured plasma phospholipid concentrations of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in blood samples drawn approximately 2 y before the event.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>A higher concentration of combined DHA and EPA was associated with a lower risk of fatal ischemic heart disease, and a higher concentration of alpha-linolenic acid with a tendency to lower risk, after adjustment for risk factors [odds ratio: 0.32 (95% CI: 0.13, 0.78; P = 0.01) and 0.52 (0.24, 1.15; P = 0.1), respectively]. In contrast, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were not associated with nonfatal myocardial infarction.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>Higher combined dietary intake of DHA and EPA, and possibly alpha-linolenic acid, may lower the risk of fatal ischemic heart disease in older adults. The association of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with fatal ischemic heart disease, but not with nonfatal myocardial infarction, is consistent with possible antiarrhythmic effects of these fatty acids.</p> |
| DOI | 10.1093/ajcn/77.2.319 |
| Alternate Journal | Am J Clin Nutr |
| PubMed ID | 12540389 |
| Grant List | N01-HC-15103 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01-HC-35129 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01-HC-85079 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01-HC-85086 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States |