This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 114/3/209    most recent CIRCULATIONAHA.106.620336v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lemaitre, R. N. Articles by Siscovick, D. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lemaitre, R. N. Articles by Siscovick, D. S. Pubmed/NCBI databases Substance via MeSH Medline Plus Health Information Cardiac Arrest Related Collections Epidemiology Related Article

(Circulation. 2006;114:209-215.)
© 2006 American Heart Association, Inc.

Epidemiology

Plasma Phospholipid Trans Fatty Acids, Fatal Ischemic Heart Disease, and Sudden Cardiac Death in Older Adults

The Cardiovascular Health Study

Rozenn N. Lemaitre, PhD, MPH; Irena B. King, PhD; Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, MPH; Nona Sotoodehnia, MD, MPH; Thomas D. Rea, MD, MPH; Lewis H. Kuller, MD, PhD; Russel P. Tracy, PhD; David S. Siscovick, MD, MPH

From the University of Washington, Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Department of Medicine (R.N.L., N.S., T.D.R., D.S.S.), Cardiology Division (N.S.), and Department of Epidemiology (D.S.S.), Seattle, Wash; the Public Health Sciences Division (I.B.K.), Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Wash; the Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine (D.M.), Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; the Public Health-Seattle and King County Emergency Medical Services Division (T.D.R.), Seattle, Wash; the Department of Epidemiology (L.H.K.), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; and the Department of Pathology (R.P.T.), University of Vermont, Colchester, Vt.

Reprint requests to Rozenn Lemaitre, PhD, University of Washington, Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, 1730 Minor Ave, Suite 1360, Seattle, WA 98101. E-mail rozenl{at}u.washington.edu

Received February 10, 2006; revision received April 26, 2006; accepted May 10, 2006.

Background— Intake of trans fatty acids is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease. Whether different classes of trans fatty acids show similar associations is unclear. We previously reported an association of sudden cardiac death with red cell membrane trans-18:2 but not trans-18:1 fatty acids. To extend these findings, we investigated the associations of plasma phospholipid trans fatty acids with fatal ischemic heart disease (IHD) and sudden cardiac death.

Methods and Results— We conducted a case-control study nested in the Cardiovascular Health Study. We identified 214 cases of fatal IHD (fatal myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease death) between 1992 and 1998. We randomly selected 214 controls, matched to cases on demographics, prevalent cardiovascular disease, and timing of blood draw. Plasma phospholipid fatty acids were assessed in blood samples collected earlier. Higher levels of plasma phospholipid trans-18:2 fatty acids were associated with higher risk of fatal IHD (odds ratio [OR] for interquintile range 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21 to 2.33) after adjustment for risk factors and trans-18:1 levels. Trans-18:1 levels above the 20th percentile were associated with lower risk (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.63). In analyses limited to cases of sudden cardiac death (n=95), higher levels of trans-18:2 fatty acids were associated with higher risk (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.27 to 4.31) and higher trans-18:1 with lower risk (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.54).

Conclusions— Higher levels of trans-18:2 and lower levels of trans-18:1 fatty acids are associated with higher risks of fatal IHD and sudden cardiac death. If confirmed, these findings suggest that current efforts at decreasing trans fatty acid intake in foods should take into consideration the trans-18:2 content.

---

 

CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE

Related Article:

Issue Highlights
Circulation 2006 114: 183. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Tyburczy, C. Major, A. L. Lock, F. Destaillats, P. Lawrence, J. T. Brenna, A. M. Salter, and D. E. Bauman Individual Trans Octadecenoic Acids and Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil Differentially Affect Hepatic Lipid and Lipoprotein Metabolism in Golden Syrian Hamsters J. Nutr., February 1, 2009; 139(2): 257 - 263. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Mozaffarian Commentary: Ruminant trans fatty acids and coronary heart disease--cause for concern? Int. J. Epidemiol., February 1, 2008; 37(1): 182 - 184. [Full Text] [PDF]

				Q. Sun, J. Ma, H. Campos, S. E. Hankinson, J. E. Manson, M. J. Stampfer, K. M. Rexrode, W. C. Willett, and F. B. Hu A Prospective Study of Trans Fatty Acids in Erythrocytes and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease Circulation, April 10, 2007; 115(14): 1858 - 1865. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]