Fish oil-derived fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid, and the risk of acute coronary events: the Kuopio ischaemic heart disease risk factor study.
BACKGROUND
Previous findings concerning the serum levels of fish-derived (n-3) fatty acids and coronary heart disease are inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the serum n-3 end-product fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and eicosapentaenoic acid and the risk of acute coronary events in middle-aged men.


RESULTS
We studied this association in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, a prospective population study in Eastern Finland. Subjects were randomly selected and included 1871 men aged 42 to 60 years who had no clinical coronary heart disease at baseline examination. A total of 194 men had a fatal or nonfatal acute coronary event during follow-up. In a Cox proportional hazards' model adjusting for other risk factors, men in the highest fifth of the proportion of serum DHA+DPA in all fatty acids had a 44% reduced risk (P=0.014) of acute coronary events compared with men in the lowest fifth. Men in the highest fifth of DHA+DPA who had a low hair content of mercury (</=2.0 microgram/g) had a 67% reduced risk (P=0.016) of acute coronary events compared with men in the lowest fifth who had a high hair content of mercury (>2.0 microgram/g). There was no association between proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid and the risk of acute coronary events.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data provide further confirmation for the concept that fish oil-derived fatty acids reduce the risk of acute coronary events. However, a high mercury content in fish could attenuate this protective effect.
Rissanen
T
T
Research Institute of Public Health, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland.
Voutilainen
S
S
Nyyssönen
K
K
Lakka
T A
TA
Salonen
J T
JT
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood*; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000737:chemistry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D012307:Risk Factors
D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D005395:Fish Oils; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; C026219:docosapentaenoic acid