title: Long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and incidence rate of coronary artery calcification in Japanese men in Japan and white men in the USA: population based prospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether serum concentrations of long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn3PUFAs) contribute to the difference in the incidence rate of coronary artery calcification (CAC) between Japanese men in Japan and white men in the USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a population based, prospective cohort study, 214 Japanese men and 152 white men aged 40-49 years at baseline (2002-2006) with coronary calcium score (CCS)=0 were re-examined for CAC in 2007-2010. Among these, 175 Japanese men and 113 white men participated in the follow-up exam. Incident cases were defined as participants with CCS≥10 at follow-up. A relative risk regression analysis was used to model the incidence rate ratio between the Japanese and white men. The incidence rate ratio was first adjusted for potential confounders at baseline and then further adjusted for serum LCn3PUFAs at baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (SD) serum percentage of LCn3PUFA was >100% higher in Japanese men than in white men (9.08 (2.49) vs 3.84 (1.79), respectively, p<0.01). Japanese men had a significantly lower incidence rate of CAC compared to white men (0.9 vs 2.9/100 person-years, respectively, p<0.01). The incidence rate ratio of CAC taking follow-up time into account between Japanese and white men was 0.321 (95% CI 0.150 to 0.690; p<0.01). After adjusting for age, systolic blood pressure, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, diabetes, and other potential confounders, the ratio remained significant (0.262, 95% CI 0.094 to 0.731; p=0.01). After further adjusting for LCn3PUFAs, however, the ratio was attenuated and became non-significant (0.376, 95% CI 0.090 to 1.572; p=0.18).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LCn3PUFAs significantly contributed to the difference in the incidence of CAC between Japanese and white men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sekikawa
authors.forename: Katsuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Sunghee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fujiyoshi
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Edmundowicz
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kadowaki
authors.forename: Rhobert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kadowaki
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sutton-Tyrrell
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: Marnie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bertolet
authors.forename: Kamal H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Masaki
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Emma J M
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Barinas-Mitchell
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Willcox
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kadota
authors.forename: Todd B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maegawa
authors.forename: Lewis H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Kuller
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ueshima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian; D044466:Asian People; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3