Table 5.

Multivariate-adjusted longitudinal differences in hear rate and heart rate variability (HRV) per each one standard deviation higher levels of plasma phospholipid trans-18:2 and trans-18:1 fatty acids assessed two years earlier in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

	Plasma phospholipid trans-18:2		Plasma phospholipid trans-18:1
	Multivariate-adjusted difference (95%CI) in each HRV index for each 1 SD (0.08 g/d) higher of plasma phospholipid trans-18:2 fatty acids*	p	Multivariate-adjusted difference (95%CI) in each HRV index for each 1 SD (0.71 g/d) higher of plasma phospholipid trans-18:1 fatty acids*	p
Resting Heart Rate, bpm (N=454)†	+0.87 (−0.26, 2.00)	0.13	−1.49 (−2.70, −0.28)	0.02
Time-domain HRV (N=461)
SDNN, ms	+1% (−3, 4)	0.73	+5% (2, 9)	0.006
SDANN, ms	+1% (−3, 5)	0.62	+6% (2, 10)	0.006
SDNNindex,ms	−1% (−5, 3)	0.69	+4% (−1, 8)	0.10
rMSSD, ms‡	−1% (−7, 7)	0.98	−3% (−10, 4)	0.44
Frequency-domain HRV (N=424)
TP, ms2	+1% (−8, 8)	0.99	+10% (2, 19)	0.01
ULF, ms2	+1% (−7, 8)	0.98	+11% (2, 21)	0.01
VLF, ms2	−3% (−11, 5)	0.48	+9% (0, 19)	0.05
LF/HF, ratio	+1% (−5, 8)	0.72	+7% (−1, 15)	0.06
LFnu, %†‡	−0.12 (−1.15, 0.93)	0.83	+0.60 (−0.44, 1.63)	0.26
HFnu, %†‡	−0.39 (−1.26, 0.47)	0.37	−0.48 (−1.34, 0.39)	0.28
Non-linear HRV (N=424)
DFA1†	−0.008 (−0.033, 0.017)	0.51	+0.03 (0.008, 0.06)	0.01
SD12	0% (−4, 4)	0.87	−4% (−8, 0)	0.03

^*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 plasma-phospholipid TFA.

^†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), smoking (never, former, current), BMI (kg/m²), diabetes mellitus (yes/no), coronary heart disease (yes/no), hypertension (three categories), β-blocker use (yes/no), anti-hypertensive medication use (yes/no), leisure-time physical activity (kcal/d), alcohol use (drinks/week), and plasma phospholipid levels of trans-16:1 fatty acids, trans-18:1, trans-18:2, EPA and DHA. Trans-18:1 and trans-18:2 fatty acids were mutually adjusted.

^‡Because erratic (abnormal sinus) HRV is common in older adults and can bias certain HRV indices, rMSSD, nuLF, and nuHF were evaluated among individuals with lower erratic HRV (DFA> median; n =265), 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: 0.15 (resting HR); 0.09 (SDNN); 0.09 (SDANN); 0.09 (SDNNindex); 0.12(rMSSD); 0.10 (TP); 0.10 (ULF); 0.13 (VLF); 0.15 (LF/HF ratio); 0.18(LFnu); 0.25 (HFnu); 0.15 (DFA1); 0.09 (SD12). nu = normalized units