Dietary intake of folate equivalents and risk of myocardial infarction in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)--Potsdam study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between intake of dietary folate equivalents and risk of myocardial infarction in a German cohort.


METHODS
Intake of dietary folate equivalents was assessed by a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the association between intake of dietary folate equivalents and risk of myocardial infarction.


METHODS
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam cohort, Germany.


METHODS
Subjects were 22,245 apparently healthy non-users of vitamin supplements aged 35-64 years.


RESULTS
During 4.6 years of follow-up, 129 incident cases of myocardial infarction were identified. Compared with intake below the median (103 microg), higher intake of dietary folate equivalents was associated with a multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 0.57 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36-0.91). The inverse association of folate intake and myocardial infarction risk was stronger in participants with an ethanol intake equal to or above the sex-specific median (HR=0.37, 95% CI 0.18-0.79) and attenuated in those with a low ethanol intake (HR=0.67, 95% CI 0.37-1.22).


CONCLUSIONS
An increased intake of dietary folate equivalents was observed to be associated with decreased risk of myocardial infarction in a German study population, pointing towards the importance of folate intake with respect to primary prevention of myocardial infarction.
Drogan
Dagmar
D
German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Department of Epidemiology, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, D-14558 Nuthetal, Germany.
Klipstein-Grobusch
Kerstin
K
Dierkes
Jutta
J
Weikert
Cornelia
C
Boeing
Heiner
H
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011322:Primary Prevention; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D005492:Folic Acid