To examine the relation between serum fatty acids and coronary heart d
isease (CHD), the authors conducted a nested case-control study of 94
men with incident CHD and 94 men without incident CHD who were enrolle
d in the Usual Care group of the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Tri
al between December 1973 and February 1976. After confirming the stabi
lity of the stored serum samples, the authors measured serum fatty aci
d levels by gas-liquid chromatography and examined their association w
ith CHD. In all multivariate models, levels of the cholesterol ester s
aturated fatty acid palmitic acid (16:0) were directly associated with
CHD risk (standardized odds ratio = 1.68; 95% confidence interval 1.1
0-2.55 in the model that adjusted for total plasma cholesterol level).
Levels of the phospholipid omega-3 fatty acid docosapentaenoic acid (
22:5) were inversely associated with CHD risk in the two multivariate
models that controlled for the effects of total plasma cholesterol lev
el or high density lipoprotein cholesterol to total plasma cholesterol
ratio (standardized odds ratio = 0.58; 95% confidence interval 0.38-0
.89 in the first model that controlled for total plasma cholesterol le
vel). in contrast to the first two multivariate models, levels of the
docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) were inversely associated with CHD risk in
a third multivariate model that controlled for the effects of high de
nsity lipoprotein cholesterol to low density lipoprotein cholesterol r
atio (standardized odds ratio = 0.57; 95% confidence interval 0.36-0.9
0). These findings are consistent with other evidence indicating that
saturated fatty acids are directly correlated with CHD and that omega-
3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are inversely correlated with CHD. Becau
se these associations were present after adjustment for blood lipid le
vels, other mechanisms, such as a direct effect on blood clotting, may
be involved.