Open AccessAssociations of Plasma Phospholipid and Dietary Alpha Linolenic Acid With Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Older Adults: The C ardiovascular H ealth S tudy
Author(s) -
Fretts Amanda M.,
Mozaffarian Dariush,
Siscovick David S.,
Heckbert Susan R.,
McKnight Barbara,
King Irena B.,
Rimm Eric B.,
Psaty Bruce M.,
Sacks Frank M.,
Song Xiaoling,
Spiegelman Donna,
Lemaitre Rozenn N.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of the american heart association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.494
H-Index - 85
ISSN - 2047-9980
DOI - 10.1161/jaha.112.003814
Subject(s) - medicine , atrial fibrillation , prospective cohort study , hazard ratio , quartile , alpha linolenic acid , rotterdam study , proportional hazards model , body mass index , population , diabetes mellitus , cohort study , cohort , cardiology , endocrinology , polyunsaturated fatty acid , fatty acid , confidence interval , docosahexaenoic acid , environmental health , biology , biochemistry
Background Few studies have examined the relationship of α‐linolenic acid ( ALA 18:3n‐3), an intermediate‐chain essential n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid derived from plants and vegetable oils, with incident atrial fibrillation ( AF ). Methods and Results The study population included participants from the C ardiovascular H ealth S tudy, a community‐based longitudinal cohort of adults aged 65 or older, free of prevalent coronary heart disease and atrial fibrillation. We assessed the associations of plasma phospholipid and dietary ALA with incident AF using C ox regression. The biomarker analysis comprised a total of 2899 participants, and the dietary analysis comprised 4337 participants. We found no association of plasma phospholipid ALA and incident AF . Comparing each of the second, third, and fourth quartiles to the lowest quartile, the hazard ratios for AF were 1.11 (95% CI , 0.90 to 1.37), 1.09 (95% CI , 0.88 to 1.35), and 0.92 (95% CI , 0.74 to 1.15), after adjustment for age, sex, race, clinic, education, smoking, alcohol, body mass index, waist circumference, diabetes, heart failure, stroke, treated hypertension, and physical activity ( P trend=0.48). When dietary ALA was considered the exposure of interest, results were similar. Conclusions Results from this prospective cohort study of older adults indicate no association of plasma phospholipid or dietary ALA and incident AF .