TY - JOUR
T1 - (n-3) fatty acid content of red blood cells does not predict risk of future cardiovascular events following an acute coronary syndrome
AU - Aarsetoey, Hildegunn
AU - Pönitz, Volker
AU - Grundt, Heidi
AU - Staines, Harry
AU - Harris, William S.
AU - Nilsen, Dennis W.T.
PY - 2009/3
Y1 - 2009/3
N2 - A reduced risk of fatal coronary artery disease has been associated with a high intake of (n-3) fatty acids (FA) and a direct cardioprotective effect by their incorporation into myocardial cells has been suggested. Based on these observations, the omega-3 index (eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid in cell membranes of RBC expressed as percent of total FA) has been suggested as a new risk marker for cardiac death. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the omega-3 index as a prognostic risk marker following hospitalization with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The omega-3 index was measured at admission in 460 patients with an ACS as defined by Troponin-T (TnT) ≥0.02 μg/L. During a 2-y follow-up, recurrent myocardial infarctions (Ml) (defined as TnT ≥0.05 μg/L with a typical Ml presentation) and cardiac and all-cause mortality were registered. Cox regression analyses were used to relate the risk of new events to the quartiles of the omega-3 index at inclusion. After correction for age, sex, previous heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, brain natriuretic peptide, creatinine, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerol, homocysteine, BMI, and medication, there was no significant reduction in risk for all-cause mortality, cardiac death, or Ml with increasing values of the index. In conclusion, we could not confirm the omega-3 index as a useful prognostic risk marker following an ACS.
AB - A reduced risk of fatal coronary artery disease has been associated with a high intake of (n-3) fatty acids (FA) and a direct cardioprotective effect by their incorporation into myocardial cells has been suggested. Based on these observations, the omega-3 index (eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid in cell membranes of RBC expressed as percent of total FA) has been suggested as a new risk marker for cardiac death. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the omega-3 index as a prognostic risk marker following hospitalization with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The omega-3 index was measured at admission in 460 patients with an ACS as defined by Troponin-T (TnT) ≥0.02 μg/L. During a 2-y follow-up, recurrent myocardial infarctions (Ml) (defined as TnT ≥0.05 μg/L with a typical Ml presentation) and cardiac and all-cause mortality were registered. Cox regression analyses were used to relate the risk of new events to the quartiles of the omega-3 index at inclusion. After correction for age, sex, previous heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, brain natriuretic peptide, creatinine, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerol, homocysteine, BMI, and medication, there was no significant reduction in risk for all-cause mortality, cardiac death, or Ml with increasing values of the index. In conclusion, we could not confirm the omega-3 index as a useful prognostic risk marker following an ACS.
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U2 - 10.3945/jn.108.096446
DO - 10.3945/jn.108.096446
M3 - Article
C2 - 19158216
AN - SCOPUS:62749106798
SN - 0022-3166
VL - 139
SP - 507
EP - 513
JO - Journal of Nutrition
JF - Journal of Nutrition
IS - 3
ER -