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Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors
High Trans Fat in Blood Triples Risk of Heart Disease
for Women
Harvard says it's strongest evidence
connecting trans fat and heart disease
March 27, 2007 - High consumption of trans fat,
found mainly in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and widely used by
the food industry, has been linked to an increased risk of coronary
heart disease (CHD). A new study from the Harvard School of Public
Health (HSPH) provides the strongest association to date between trans
fat and heart disease.
It found that women in the U.S. with the highest
levels of trans fat in their blood had three times the risk of CHD as
those with the lowest levels. The study was published online on March
26, 2007, andmerican Heart Association. will appear in the April 10,
2007 print issue of Circulation: Journal of the A
“The strength of this study is that the amount of
trans fatty acid levels was measured in blood samples from the study
population. Because humans cannot synthesize trans fatty acids, the
amount of trans fat in red blood cells is an excellent biomarker of
trans fat intake,” said senior author Frank Hu, associate professor of
nutrition and epidemiology at HSPH.
Clinical trials have shown that trans fatty acids
increase LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol, making them the only
class of fatty acids, which includes saturated fat, to have this dual
effect. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is considered a “good”
cholesterol; LDL (low-density lipoprotein) a “bad” cholesterol.
New York and Philadelphia have passed measures
eliminating its use in restaurants, and other cities are considering
similar bans.
The researchers, led by Hu and lead author Qi Sun,
a graduate research assistant at HSPH, set out to test the assumption
that higher trans fatty acid levels in erythrocytes—red blood cells—were
associated with a higher risk of heart disease among U.S. women.
Blood samples collected in 1989 and 1990 from
32,826 participants in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital-based Nurses’
Health Study were examined. During six years of follow-up, 166 cases of
CHD were diagnosed and matched with 327 controls for age, smoking
status, fasting status and date of blood drawing.
After adjusting for age, smoking status and other
dietary and lifestyle cardiovascular risk factors, the researchers found
that a higher level of trans fatty acids in red blood cells was
associated with an elevated risk of CHD.
The risk among women in the top quartile of
trans fat levels was triple that of the lowest quartile.
“Positive associations have been shown in earlier
studies based on dietary data provided by the participants, but the use
of biomarkers of trans fatty acids is believed to be more reliable than
self-reports. This is probably the reason why we see an even stronger
association between blood levels of trans fat and risk of CHD in this
study,” said Sun.
“These data provide further justifications for
current efforts to remove trans fat from foods and restaurant meals,”
said Hu. “Trans fat intake in the U.S. is still high. Reducing trans fat
intake should remain an important public health priority.”
Editor's Notes:
The study was supported by the National Institutes
of Health.
“A Prospective Study of Trans Fatty Acids in
Erythrocytes and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease,” Qi Sun, Jing Ma,
Hannia Campos, Susan E. Hankinson, JoAnn E. Manson, Meir J. Stampfer,
Kathryn M. Rexrode, Walter C. Willett, Frank B. Hu, Circulation, April
10, 2007.
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