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. 2009 Dec 9;91(2):449–455. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28433

TABLE 2.

Hazard ratios (HRs) for pancreatic cancer according to quartiles of baseline folate intakes for men (n = 51,988) and women (n = 57,187) who participated in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (1998–2006)

Quartiles
Multivitamin use
1 2 3 4 P for trend Continuous HR No Yes
Women
 Natural folate (μg/d)1 ≤125.6 125.7–151.1 151.2–183.2 ≥183.3
  No. of cases 26 25 25 28
  HR (95% CI)2 1 0.69 (0.38, 1.25) 0.87 (0.50, 1.51) 0.93 (0.54, 1.60) 0.95
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.62 (0.33, 1.16) 0.81 (0.45, 1.47) 0.72 (0.39, 1.35) 0.51 0.69 (0.40, 1.20)
 Fortified folic acid (μg/d)4 ≤ 48.3 48.4–65.6 65.7–90.0 ≥90.1
  No. of cases 31 22 23 28
  HR (95% CI)2 1 0.70 (0.40, 1.23) 0.69 (0.39, 1.21) 0.83 (0.49, 1.40) 0.63
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.63 (0.35, 1.14) 0.69 (0.39, 1.23) 0.72 (0.41, 1.26) 0.39 0.72 (0.42, 1.21)
 Food folate (μg/d)5 ≤179.1 179.2–213.1 213.2–253.2 ≥253.3
  No. of cases 27 18 38 21
  HR (95% CI)2 1 0.66 (0.35, 1.23) 1.34 (0.80, 2.26) 0.72 (0.39, 1.31) 0.63
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.58 (0.30, 1.12) 1.06 (0.60, 1.88) 0.47 (0.23, 0.94) 0.09 0.56 (0.31, 1.00)
 Supplemental folic acid (μg/d)6 0 <400 ≥400
  No. of cases 37 12 55
  HR (95% CI)2 1 0.75 (0.39, 1.46) 0.92 (0.60, 1.43) 0.81
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.80 (0.41, 1.56) 0.87 (0.55, 1.36) 0.58
 Total folate (μg/d)7 ≤238.9 239.0–399.0 399.1–534.2 ≥534.3
  No. of cases 29 30 24 21
  HR (95% CI)2 1 1.12 (0.66, 1.91) 0.79 (0.44, 1.41) 0.69 (0.38, 1.25) 0.12
  HR (95% CI)3 1 1.01 (0.58, 1.76) 0.75 (0.41, 1.36) 0.56 (0.30, 1.06) 0.04 0.65 (0.37, 1.14)
 Multivitamin use
  No. of cases 82 22
  HR (95% CI)2 1 0.81 (0.49, 1.32)
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.82 (0.49, 1.36)
Men
 Natural folate (μg/d)1 ≤109.7 109.8–131.1 131.2–157.6 ≥157.7
  No. of cases 37 35 48 42
  HR (95% CI)2 1 0.79 (0.49, 1.27) 1.06 (0.68, 1.65) 0.89 (0.56, 1.41) 0.89
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.83 (0.51, 1.38) 1.11 (0.69, 1.78) 0.91 (0.55, 1.53) 0.92 1.25 (0.79, 1.96)
 Fortified folic acid (μg/d)4 ≤47.4 47.5–66.8 66.9–94.5 ≥94.6
  No. of cases 38 48 25 51
  HR (95% CI)2 1 1.26 (0.81, 1.95) 0.66 (0.39, 1.10) 1.04 (0.67, 1.63) 0.70
  HR (95% CI)3 1 1.31 (0.84, 2.04) 0.65 (0.38, 1.10) 1.06 (0.66, 1.70) 0.73 0.96 (0.65, 1.41)
 Food folate (μg/d)5 ≤ 158.0 158.1–190.0 190.1–229.5 ≥ 229.6
  No. of cases 34 46 27 55
  HR (95% CI)2 1 1.17 (0.73, 1.85) 0.69 (0.41, 1.16) 1.16 (0.73, 1.84) 0.74
  HR (95% CI)3 1 1.21 (0.75, 1.96) 0.71 (0.41, 1.24) 1.20 (0.70, 2.04) 0.67 1.27 (0.81, 2.00)
 Supplemental folic acid (μg/d)6 0 <400 ≥400
  No. of cases 67 25 70
  HR (95% CI)2 1 1.25 (0.78, 2.01) 1.07 (0.76, 1.52) 0.73
  HR (95% CI)3 1 1.33 (0.82, 2.17) 1.15 (0.81, 1.64) 0.45
 Total folate (μg/d)7 ≤186.9 187.0–280.6 280.7–413.5 ≥413.6
  No. of cases 43 31 38 50
  HR (95% CI)2 1 0.65 (0.40, 1.05) 0.85 (0.54, 1.34) 0.89 (0.57, 1.39) 0.87
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.70 (0.43, 1.16) 0.91 (0.57, 1.47) 0.95 (0.59, 1.54) 0.65 1.26 (0.78, 2.02)
 Multivitamin use
  No. of cases 130 32
  HR (95% CI)2 1 0.95 (0.63, 1.43)
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.94 (0.62, 1.42)
Sexes combined8
 Natural folate (μg/d)1
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.68 (0.27, 1.08) 0.96 (0.58, 1.34) 0.81 (0.41, 1.21) 0.94 (0.58, 1.30)
 Fortified folic acid (μg/d)4
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.90 (0.52, 1.27) 0.61 (0.37, 0.84) 0.87 (0.50, 1.24) 0.82 (0.49, 1.15)
 Food folate (μg/d)5
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.83 (0.43, 1.24) 0.90 (0.51, 1.30) 0.73 (0.29, 1.17) 0.86 (0.48, 1.23)
 Supplemental folic acid (μg/d)6 0 <400 ≥400
  HR (95% CI)3 1 1.02 (0.61, 1.44) 1.00 (0.71, 1.29)
 Total folate (μg/d)7
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.84 (0.47, 1.22) 0.81 (0.43, 1.20) 0.69 (0.28, 1.09) 0.90 (0.53, 1.27)
 Multivitamin use
  HR (95% CI)3 1 0.86 (0.53, 1.19)
1

Polyglutamates found naturally in food.

2

Cox proportional hazards regression with the use of a univariate model. Adjusted for total energy and should be considered as adjusted for age because age is the time metric.

3

Cox proportional hazards regression with the use of a multivariable model. Adjusted for total energy, smoking, self-reported diabetes, BMI, and saturated fat intake with age as the time metric.

4

Folic acid from fortified grain.

5

Natural folate and fortified folic acid combined.

6

Folic acid from vitamin supplements.

7

Food folate and supplemental folic acid combined.

8

Multivariable analysis of men and women combined used sex-specific cutoffs for folate intakes.