MARGARINE INTAKE AND SUBSEQUENT CORONARY HEART-DISEASE IN MEN

Margarine is a major source of trans fatty acids, the intake of which has risen since the early 20th century. Some data indicate that consum ption of trans fatty acids increases the risk of coronary heart diseas e (CHD). In 1966-1969, 832 men from the Framingham Study, age 45-64 ye ars and free of CHD, were administered a single 24-hour dietary recall , from which we estimated total daily margarine intake. We calculated CHD cumulative incidence rates and, using proportional hazards regress ion, CHD incidence rate ratios over 21 years of followup. Mean energy intake was 2,619 kcal; mean margarine intake was 1.8 (range 0-12) tsp per day. There were 267 incident cases of CHD. Age adjusted CHD cumula tive incidence rose over categories of margarine intake, hut the incre ased risk was apparent only in the second half of the follow-up period . Adjusted for age and energy intake, the risk ratio for CHD for each increment of 1 teaspoon per day of margarine was 0.98 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.91-1.05] for the first 10 years of follow up and 1.1 0 (95% CI = 1.04-1.17) for follow-up years 11-21. Adjustment for total fat intake and for cigarette smoking, glucose intolerance, left ventr icular hypertrophy, body mass index, blood pressure, physical activity , and alcohol intake did not materially change the results. Butter int ake did not predict CHD incidence. These data offer modest support to the hypothesis that margarine intake increases the risk of coronary he art disease.