ASSOCIATIONS OF FISH INTAKE AND DIETARY N-3 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS WITH A HYPOCOAGULABLE PROFILE - THE ATHEROSCLEROSIS RISK IN COMMUNITIES (ARIC) STUDY

Recent epidemiological evidence indicates that the hemostatic profile is an important predictor of cardiovascular disease, yet its dietary d eterminants are not well established. An important question is whether dietary fatty acid intake influences blood levels of coagulation prot eins. We examined potential dietary determinants of six hemostatic fac tors - fibrinogen, factor VII, factor VIII, von Willebrand factor (vWF ), protein C, and antithrombin III-in four population-based samples to taling over 15000 participants, blacks and whites, in the Atherosclero sis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Usual dietary intake was assesse d by a food frequency questionnaire. Cross-sectional associations were explored using multiple linear regression analysis, adjusting for gen der, race, age, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol use, diabetes , and field center. Dietary intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) showed negative associations with fibrinogen, factor VIII, and vWF (blacks and whites) and a positive association with protein C (wh ites only). Fish intake, the major source of dietary n-3 PUFAs, was si milarly related to the hemostatic profile: a 1 serving per day greater fish intake was associated with the following predicted differences ( 95% confidence interval): fibrinogen, -2.9 mg/dL (-6.3, 0.5); factor V III, -3.3% (-5.4, -1.3); vWF, -2.7% (-5.2, -0.1) (blacks and whites); and protein C, +0.07 mug/mL (0.03, 0.11) (whites only). Other nutrient s or foods were variably associated with the hemostatic factors. These population-based associations, although cross-sectional, suggest that increases in n-3 PUFA intake from fish may modify the blood levels of several coagulation factors.