Dietary linolenic acid and carotid atherosclerosis: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study.
BACKGROUND
Dietary intake of linolenic acid is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. However, it is unknown whether linolenic acid is associated with a lower risk of carotid atherosclerosis.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to examine the association between dietary linolenic acid and the presence of atherosclerotic plaques and the intima-media thickness of the carotid arteries.


METHODS
In a cross-sectional design, we studied 1575 white participants of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study who were free of coronary artery disease, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. High-resolution ultrasound was used to assess intima-media thickness and the presence of carotid plaques beginning 1 cm below to 1 cm above the carotid bulb. We used logistic regression and a generalized linear model for the analyses.


RESULTS
From the lowest to the highest quartile of linolenic acid intake, the prevalence odds ratio (95% CI) of a carotid plaque was 1.0 (reference), 0.47 (0.30, 0.73), 0.38 (0.22, 0.66), and 0.49 (0.26, 0.94), respectively, in a model that adjusted for age, sex, energy intake, waist-to-hip ratio, education, field center, smoking, and the consumption of linoleic acid, saturated fat, fish, and vegetables. Linoleic acid, fish long-chain fatty acids, and fish consumption were not significantly related to carotid artery disease. Linolenic acid was inversely related to thickness of the internal and bifurcation segments of the carotid arteries but not to the common carotid artery.


CONCLUSIONS
Higher consumption of total linolenic acid is associated with a lower prevalence odds of carotid plaques and with lesser thickness of segment-specific carotid intima-media thickness.
Djoussé
Luc
L
Section of Preventive Medicine & Epidemiology, Evans Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, MA 02118, USA. ldjousse@bu.edu
Folsom
Aaron R
AR
Province
Michael A
MA
Hunt
Steven C
SC
Ellison
R Curtis
RC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001824:Body Constitution; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004522:Educational Status; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012907:Smoking; D014675:Vegetables; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005227:Fatty Acids; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid