title: Dietary linolenic acid is inversely associated with plasma triacylglycerol: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dietary intake of linolenic acid is associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. However, the mechanisms by which dietary linolenic acid affects cardiovascular disease risk are not clearly understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined the association between dietary linolenic acid and plasma triacylglycerol concentrations.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional design, we studied 4440 white subjects (2036 men and 2404 women) aged 25-93 y who participated in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study. We used generalized linear models to estimate adjusted mean triacylglycerol concentrations according to categories of total dietary linolenic acid (alpha- and gamma-linolenic acid) intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean dietary linolenic acid intakes were 0.81 and 0.69 g/d for the men and the women, respectively. High consumption of dietary linolenic acid was associated with young age; high intakes of energy, fat, carbohydrates, fruit, vegetables, and fish; low HDL cholesterol; current smoking; and frequent consumption of creamy salad dressing. High consumption of dietary linolenic acid was also associated with low plasma triacylglycerol concentrations. From the lowest to the highest quintile of linolenic acid intake, the multivariate-adjusted mean triacylglycerol concentrations were 1.75 (95% CI: 1.65, 1.85), 1.74 (1.66, 1.82), 1.69 (1.61, 1.77), 1.66 (1.58, 1.74), and 1.54 (1.44, 1.64) mmol/L, respectively (P for linear trend = 0.007). When linolenic acid was used as a continuous variable, the corresponding regression coefficient was -0.2811 (-0.4922, -0.07001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consumption of total linolenic acid is inversely related to plasma triacylglycerol concentrations in both white men and white women. This suggests a pathway by which dietary linolenic acid might reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
authors.affiliation: Section of Preventive Medicine & Epidemiology, Evans Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Room B-612, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA. ldjousse@bu.edu
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Djoussé
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Donna K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Arnett
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Province
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Eckfeldt
authors.forename: R Curtis
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Ellison
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid