title: (n-3) Fatty acid content of red blood cells does not predict risk of future cardiovascular events following an acute coronary syndrome.
abstract: A reduced risk of fatal coronary artery disease has been associated with a high intake of (n-3) fatty acids (FA) and a direct cardioprotective effect by their incorporation into myocardial cells has been suggested. Based on these observations, the omega-3 index (eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid in cell membranes of RBC expressed as percent of total FA) has been suggested as a new risk marker for cardiac death. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the omega-3 index as a prognostic risk marker following hospitalization with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The omega-3 index was measured at admission in 460 patients with an ACS as defined by Troponin-T (TnT) > or = 0.02 microg/L. During a 2-y follow-up, recurrent myocardial infarctions (MI) (defined as TnT > 0.05 microg/L with a typical MI presentation) and cardiac and all-cause mortality were registered. Cox regression analyses were used to relate the risk of new events to the quartiles of the omega-3 index at inclusion. After correction for age, sex, previous heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, brain natriuretic peptide, creatinine, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerol, homocysteine, BMI, and medication, there was no significant reduction in risk for all-cause mortality, cardiac death, or MI with increasing values of the index. In conclusion, we could not confirm the omega-3 index as a useful prognostic risk marker following an ACS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stavanger University Hospital, 4068 Stavanger, Norway.
authors.forename: Hildegunn
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aarsetoey
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pönitz
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grundt
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Staines
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Dennis W T
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Nilsen
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3