TABLE 5.
Association between the cumulative average of fatty acids (from foods and supplements) and newly diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease1
| Women |
Men |
Total |
||||||
| Fatty acid intake | n | Person-years | aHR (95% CI) | n | Person-years | aHR (95% CI) | n | aHR (95% CI) |
| EPA and DHA (g/d) | ||||||||
| <0.15 | 324 | 465,145 | 1.00 (referent) | 46 | 132,871 | 1.00 (referent) | 370 | 1.00 (referent) |
| 0.15–0.24 | 221 | 329,056 | 1.15 (0.96, 1.37) | 44 | 107,442 | 1.17 (0.77, 1.78) | 265 | 1.15 (0.98, 1.36) |
| 0.25–0.34 | 103 | 188,252 | 1.01 (0.80, 1.27) | 37 | 106,552 | 1.14 (0.73, 1.78) | 140 | 1.04 (0.84, 1.28) |
| ≥0.35 | 75 | 154,646 | 0.96 (0.73, 1.26) | 39 | 173,968 | 0.99 (0.62, 1.58) | 114 | 0.97 (0.77, 1.23) |
| P | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.91 |
| I2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| n–3 PUFAs (g/d) | ||||||||
| <1.25 | 408 | 594,493 | 1.00 (referent) | 70 | 189,984 | 1.00 (referent) | 478 | 1.00 (referent) |
| 1.25–1.44 | 161 | 257,809 | 1.09 (0.90, 1.31) | 40 | 113,604 | 1.09 (0.73, 1.62) | 201 | 1.09 (0.92, 1.29) |
| 1.45–1.64 | 78 | 150,830 | 0.88 (0.68, 1.12) | 22 | 89,179 | 0.78 (0.48, 1.27) | 100 | 0.86 (0.69, 1.07) |
| ≥1.65 | 76 | 133,968 | 0.88 (0.68, 1.13) | 34 | 128,066 | 0.93 (0.61, 1.42) | 110 | 0.89 (0.72, 1.11) |
| P | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.83 |
| I2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| n–6 PUFAs (g/d) | ||||||||
| <10.0 | 429 | 668,038 | 1.00 (referent) | 57 | 168,355 | 1.00 (referent) | 486 | 1.00 (referent) |
| 10.0–11.4 | 156 | 234,236 | 1.15 (0.95, 1.38) | 38 | 110,578 | 0.97 (0.64, 1.48) | 194 | 1.12 (0.94, 1.32) |
| 11.5–12.9 | 68 | 129,606 | 0.82 (0.63, 1.06) | 23 | 95,776 | 0.64 (0.39, 1.05) | 91 | 0.77 (0.61, 0.97) |
| ≥13.0 | 70 | 105,219 | 0.99 (0.76, 1.29) | 48 | 146,123 | 0.83 (0.56, 1.22) | 118 | 0.94 (0.75, 1.16) |
| P | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.45 |
| I2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Ratio of n–6:n–3 | ||||||||
| <7.5 | 297 | 470,674 | 1.00 (referent) | 43 | 175,994 | 1.00 (referent) | 340 | 1.00 (referent) |
| 7.5–8.4 | 206 | 314,733 | 0.97 (0.81, 1.17) | 37 | 105,753 | 1.07 (0.68, 1.68) | 243 | 0.98 (0.83, 1.17) |
| 8.5–9.4 | 118 | 190,740 | 0.94 (0.75, 1.18) | 31 | 88,527 | 1.03 (0.63, 1.66) | 149 | 0.96 (0.78, 1.17) |
| ≥9.5 | 102 | 160,653 | 0.83 (0.66, 1.06) | 55 | 150,558 | 0.93 (0.61, 1.43) | 157 | 0.86 (0.69, 1.05) |
| P | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.66 |
| I2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
Multivariate HRs were adjusted for age, smoking, pack-years of smoking, pack-years squared of smoking, secondhand tobacco exposure (only in the NHS), race-ethnicity, physician visit, US region, spouse's highest educational attainment (only in the NHS), menopausal status (only in the NHS), BMI, physical activity, multivitamin use, energy intake, and modified prudent and Western dietary patterns. P values are a test for between-study heterogeneity (highest compared with lowest fatty acid intakes). I2 is the degree of heterogeneity between studies expressed as a percentage of total variance (highest compared with lowest fatty acid intakes). aHR, adjusted HR; NHS, Nurses’ Health Study.