Table 3.

Multivariate-adjusted cross-sectional differences in heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) per each one standard deviation higher intake of trans-18:2 and trans-18:1 among older adults in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

	Trans-18:2 intake		Trans-18:1 intake
	Multivariate-adjusted difference (95%CI) in each HRV index for each 1 SD (0.06 g/d) higher consumption of trans-18:2 fatty acids*	p	Multivariate-adjusted difference (95%CI) in each HRV index for each 1 SD (0.68 g/d) higher consumption of trans18:1 fatty acids *	p
24-hour Heart Rate, bpm† (N=1,076)	+3.20 (0.92, 5.48)	0.006	−2.85 (−5.17, −0.52)	0.02
Resting Heart Rate, bpm† (N=1,076)	+3.26 (0.68, 5.83)	0.01	−3.09 (−5.71, −0.46)	0.02
Time-domain HRV (N=1,076)
SDNN, ms	−12% (−19, −6)	0.001	+16% (7, 25)	<0.001
SDANN, ms	−12% (−19, −5)	0.001	+16% (7, 26)	<0.001
SDNNindex, ms	−11% (−19, −3)	0.007	+14% (4, 24)	0.004
rMSSD, ms‡	−9% (−19, 4)	0.17	+7% (−4, 21)	0.27
Frequency-domain HRV (N=1034)
TP, ms2	−24% (−36, −11)	0.001	+37% (16, 60)	<0.001
ULF, ms2	−24% (−36, −11)	0.001	+37% (16, 61)	<0.001
VLF, ms2	−24% (−36, −9)	0.003	+33% (11, 60)	0.002
LF/HF, ratio	−1% (−14, 15)	0.96	+1% (−13, 17)	0.90
LFnu, % †‡	+1.09 (−1.04, 3.24)	0.32	−0.4 (−2.56, 1.79)	0.73
HFnu, %†‡	−1.16 (−2.81, 0.5)	0.17	+0.65 (−1.03, 2.33)	0.45
Non-linear HRV (N=1034)
DFA1†	−0.01 (−0.05, 0.04)	0.77	+0.01 (−0.04, 0.06)	0.73
SD12	0% (−8, 8)	0.91	+1% (−8, 8)	0.95

^*Because most HRV indices were log-transformed prior to analysis, values represent the percent difference in each HRV index according to each one unit (one SD) of higher TFA consumption.

^†Normally distributed and were not log-transformed prior to analysis. Values represent absolute difference in each HRV index according to each one unit (one SD) of higher plasma phospholipid TFA.

Analyses adjusted for: age (years), gender (male/female), race (white/nonwhite), education (< high school, high school, > high school), income (≤/> $ 25,000/yr), clinical site (four categories), smoking (never/former/current), BMI (kg/m²), diabetes mellitus (yes/no), coronary heart disease (yes/no), hypertension (three categories), β-blocker use (yes/no), other anti-hypertensive medication use (yes/no), leisure-time physical activity (kcal/week), alcohol (drinks/week), and consumption of total energy (kcal/d), trans-16:1 fatty acids (mg/day), EPA and DHA (quintiles), fruits (quintiles), and vegetables (quintiles). All models also mutually adjusted for consumption of trans-18:2 and trans-18:1 to investigate their independent effects.

^‡Because erratic (abnormal sinus) HRV is common in older adults and can bias certain HRV indices, rMSSD, LFnu, and HFnu were evaluated among individuals with lower erratic HRV (DFA>median; n =625), consistent with our prior methods for HRV analyses in this cohort.²⁸

In sensitivity analyses, results for pNN50 were generally similar to those for rMSSD; and we found no significant associations of TFA with heart rate turbulence (HRT).

R-squared values are the following: 0.21 (24-hour HR); 0.19 (resting HR); 0.15 (SDNN); 0.15 (SDANN); 0.14 (SDNNindex); 0.10(rMSSD); 0.14 (TP); 0.15 (ULF); 0.17 (VLF); 0.17 (LF/HF ratio); 0.13 (LFnu); 0.16 (HFnu); 0.17 (DFA1); 0.14 (SD12). nu = normalized units