A prospective study of trans fatty acids in erythrocytes and risk of coronary heart disease.
BACKGROUND
High consumption of trans fat has been linked to the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). We assessed the hypothesis that higher trans fatty acid contents in erythrocytes were associated with an elevated risk of CHD in a nested case-control study among US women.


RESULTS
Blood samples were collected from 32,826 participants of the Nurses' Health Study from 1989 to 1990. During 6 years of follow-up, 166 incident cases of CHD were ascertained and matched with 327 controls. Total trans fatty acid content in erythrocytes was significantly correlated with dietary intake of trans fat (correlation coefficient=0.44, P<0.01) and was associated with increased plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P for trend =0.06), decreased plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (P for trend <0.01), and increased plasma low-density lipoprotein to high-density lipoprotein ratio (P for trend <0.01). After adjustment for age, smoking status, and other dietary and lifestyle cardiovascular risk factors, higher total trans fatty acid content in erythrocytes was associated with an elevated risk of CHD. The multivariable relative risks (95% confidence intervals) of CHD from the lowest to highest quartiles of total trans fatty acid content in erythrocytes were 1.0 (reference), 1.6 (0.7 to 3.6), 1.6 (0.7 to 3.4), and 3.3 (1.5 to 7.2) (P for trend <0.01). The corresponding relative risks were 1.0, 1.1, 1.3, and 3.1 (P for trend <0.01) for a total of 18:1 trans isomers and 1.0, 1.5, 2.5, and 2.8 (P for trend <0.01) for a total of 18:2 trans isomers.


CONCLUSIONS
These biomarker data provide further evidence that high trans fat consumption remains a significant risk factor for CHD after adjustment for covariates.
Sun
Qi
Q
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Ma
Jing
J
Campos
Hannia
H
Hankinson
Susan E
SE
Manson
JoAnn E
JE
Stampfer
Meir J
MJ
Rexrode
Kathryn M
KM
Willett
Walter C
WC
Hu
Frank B
FB
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044242:Trans Fatty Acids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004041:Dietary Fats; D044242:Trans Fatty Acids