Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 2004 Feb;59(2):105–110. doi: 10.1136/thorax.2003.009498

Fatty acid levels and risk of asthma in young adults

R Woods 1, J Raven 1, E Walters 1, M Abramson 1, F Thien 1
PMCID: PMC1746920  PMID: 14760147

Abstract

Background: There is current interest in the possible protective effect of long chain (n-3) fatty acids from fish in chronic lung diseases such as asthma. The aim of this community based cross sectional study was to determine whether plasma long chain (n-3) fatty acids, as a measure of dietary intake, differed between 1601 young adults with and without asthma.

Methods: Subjects of mean (SD) age 34.6 (7.1) years completed a detailed respiratory questionnaire, food frequency questionnaire, skin prick testing, and lung function tests including methacholine challenge test for bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR) and had venous blood taken for analysis of plasma fatty acids. Plasma fatty acid levels (%) were analysed using multiple logistic regression with alternative definitions of asthma and atopy as the outcomes.

Results: Atopy was not associated with any plasma fatty acid. The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and n-6:n-3 ratio were not consistently associated with asthma or atopy. The n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid dihomo γ-linolenic acid (DHGLA) was positively associated with current asthma (OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.60), asthma (OR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.60), and doctor diagnosed asthma (OR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.48).

Conclusion: Plasma n-3 fatty acids are not associated with a reduced risk of asthma or atopy among young adults. The association of DHGLA with asthma warrants further research to determine a cause-effect relationship.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (222.0 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BLIGH E. G., DYER W. J. A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Can J Biochem Physiol. 1959 Aug;37(8):911–917. doi: 10.1139/o59-099. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Black P. N., Sharpe S. Dietary fat and asthma: is there a connection? Eur Respir J. 1997 Jan;10(1):6–12. doi: 10.1183/09031936.97.10010006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bolte G., Frye C., Hoelscher B., Meyer I., Wjst M., Heinrich J. Margarine consumption and allergy in children. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001 Jan;163(1):277–279. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.163.1.2006004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Boudreau M. D., Chanmugam P. S., Hart S. B., Lee S. H., Hwang D. H. Lack of dose response by dietary n-3 fatty acids at a constant ratio of n-3 to n-6 fatty acids in suppressing eicosanoid biosynthesis from arachidonic acid. Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Jul;54(1):111–117. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/54.1.111. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Burney P. G., Luczynska C., Chinn S., Jarvis D. The European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Eur Respir J. 1994 May;7(5):954–960. doi: 10.1183/09031936.94.07050954. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cleland L. G., French J. K., Betts W. H., Murphy G. A., Elliott M. J. Clinical and biochemical effects of dietary fish oil supplements in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 1988 Oct;15(10):1471–1475. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hirsch T., Kempe G. Consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in former East and West Germany and changes in East Germany after the reunification. Respir Med. 1999 Mar;93(3):213–216. doi: 10.1016/s0954-6111(99)90011-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hodge L., Salome C. M., Peat J. K., Haby M. M., Xuan W., Woolcock A. J. Consumption of oily fish and childhood asthma risk. Med J Aust. 1996 Feb 5;164(3):137–140. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1996.tb122010.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Peat J. K., Salome C. M., Woolcock A. J. Factors associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness in Australian adults and children. Eur Respir J. 1992 Sep;5(8):921–929. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Savitz D. A., Olshan A. F. Multiple comparisons and related issues in the interpretation of epidemiologic data. Am J Epidemiol. 1995 Nov 1;142(9):904–908. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a117737. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Schwartz J., Weiss S. T. Dietary factors and their relation to respiratory symptoms. The Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Am J Epidemiol. 1990 Jul;132(1):67–76. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115644. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Toelle B. G., Peat J. K., Salome C. M., Mellis C. M., Woolcock A. J. Toward a definition of asthma for epidemiology. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1992 Sep;146(3):633–637. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/146.3.633. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Weiland S. K., von Mutius E., Hüsing A., Asher M. I. Intake of trans fatty acids and prevalence of childhood asthma and allergies in Europe. ISAAC Steering Committee. Lancet. 1999 Jun 12;353(9169):2040–2041. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(99)01609-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Woods R. K., Walters E. H., Wharton C., Watson N., Abramson M. The rising prevalence of asthma in young Melbourne adults is associated with improvement in treatment. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2001 Aug;87(2):117–123. doi: 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)62204-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Woods Rosalie K., Stoney Rachel M., Ireland Paul D., Bailey Michael J., Raven Joan M., Thien Frank C. K., Walters E. Haydn, Abramson Michael J. A valid food frequency questionnaire for measuring dietary fish intake. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(1):56–61. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-6047.2002.00273.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Woods Rosalie K., Walters E. Haydn, Raven Joan M., Wolfe Rory, Ireland Paul D., Thien Frank C. K., Abramson Michael J. Food and nutrient intakes and asthma risk in young adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;78(3):414–421. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/78.3.414. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES