Table 1.
Risk of Total Mortality According to Plasma Phospholipid n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids among 2,792 US Adults.
| Quintiles of plasma phospholipid fatty acid levels | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Ptrend* | |
| Linoleic acid (% of fatty acids, median) | 16.6 | 18.4 | 19.7 | 21.0 | 22.9 | |
| Person-years of follow-up | 7074 | 6740 | 6668 | 6954 | 6854 | |
| Deaths, n | 384 | 403 | 418 | 393 | 396 | |
| Age and sex adjusted HR (95% CI) | 1.0 (Reference) | 1.08 (0.94, 1.24) | 1.02 (0.89, 1.17) | 0.90 (0.78, 1.04) | 0.91 (0.79, 1.05) | 0.03 |
| Multivariable adjusted HR (95% CI)† | 1.0 (Reference) | 1.11 (0.96, 1.28) | 1.00 (0.86, 1.15) | 0.88 (0.76, 1.03) | 0.87 (0.74, 1.02) | 0.005 |
| Arachidonic acid (% of fatty acids, median) | 8.6 | 10.1 | 11.1 | 12.1 | 13.6 | |
| Person-years of follow-up | 6668 | 6967 | 6699 | 6633 | 7324 | |
| Deaths, n | 421 | 383 | 421 | 404 | 365 | |
| Age and sex adjusted HR (95% CI) | 1.0 (Reference) | 0.88 (0.77, 1.01) | 1.07 (0.93, 1.22) | 1.03 (0.90, 1.18) | 0.88 (0.77, 1.02) | 0.43 |
| Multivariable adjusted HR (95% CI)† | 1.0 (Reference) | 0.90 (0.79, 1.04) | 1.07 (0.93, 1.22) | 1.00 (0.87, 1.15) | 0.87 (0.75, 1.01) | 0.25 |
| γ-Linolenic acid (% of fatty acids, median) | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.08 | 0.10 | 0.14 | |
| Person-years of follow-up | 6814 | 6816 | 6559 | 7196 | 6904 | |
| Deaths, n | 423 | 409 | 404 | 378 | 380 | |
| Age and sex adjusted HR (95% CI) | 1.0 (Reference) | 1.05 (0.91, 1.20) | 1.10 (0.96, 1.26) | 0.99 (0.86, 1.13) | 1.08 (0.94, 1.25) | 0.49 |
| Multivariable adjusted HR (95% CI)† | 1.0 (Reference) | 1.00 (0.87, 1.15) | 1.00 (0.87, 1.15) | 0.90 (0.78, 1.04) | 0.98 (0.84, 1.13) | 0.46 |
| Di-homo-γ-linolenic acid (% of fatty acids, median) | 2.2 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 4.0 | |
| Person-years of follow-up | 6727 | 6627 | 6938 | 7034 | 6964 | |
| Deaths, n | 401 | 418 | 399 | 378 | 398 | |
| Age and sex adjusted HR (95% CI) | 1.0 (Reference) | 1.13 (0.98, 1.30) | 1.06 (0.92, 1.21) | 1.01 (0.88, 1.17) | 1.10 (0.95, 1.26) | 0.55 |
| Multivariable adjusted HR (95% CI)† | 1.0 (Reference) | 1.03 (0.90, 1.19) | 0.97 (0.84, 1.12) | 0.92 (0.79, 1.06) | 0.96 (0.83, 1.11) | 0.30 |
Linear trend was tested by assigning to participants the median value in each quartile and assessing this as a continuous variable. Findings were similar when fatty acid concentrations were evaluated in their natural units as continuous exposures (data not shown).
Adjusted for age (years), gender (male or female), race (white or non white), enrollment site (4 sites), education (<high school, high school, some college, or college graduate), smoking status (never, former, or current), prevalent diabetes (yes or no), atrial fibrillation (yes or no), and hypertension (yes or no), leisure-time physical activity (mcal/wk), body mass index (kg/m2), waist circumference (cm), alcohol use (6 categories), and plasma phospholipid long-chain n-3 PUFA (sum of EPA+DPA+DHA, % of total fatty acids).