Serum fatty acids and the risk of stroke.
Serum fatty acids and the risk of stroke.
Year: 1995
Authors: J A Simon, J Fong, J T Bernert, W S Browner.
Publication Name: Stroke.
Publication Details: Volume 26; Number 5; Page 778.
Abstract:
Human metabolic research has indicated that the consumption of the saturated fatty acids myristic acid (C14:0) and palmitic acid (C16:0) are associated with elevated levels of serum TC and LDL-C which results in an increased risk of CHD. In order to examine the possible associations beteen serum fatty acids and the risk of stroke, a nested case?controlled study of men enrolled in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT) was conducted. Serum cholesterol ester and phospholipid fatty acid levels from frozen serum samples collected at the outset of the MRFIT study were analyzed and assessed adjusting for known risk factors for CHD. The subject population consisted of 96 men who had suffered a stroke during an average of 6.9 years of follow?up and compared with a matched group of 96 men who had not suffered a stroke. The results revealed in univariate models, that a standard deviation (SD) significant increase (1.37%) in phopholipid stearic acid (C18:0) was associated with a 37% increase in the risk of stroke. A significant increase (0.06%) in phospholipid ALA was associated with a 28% decrease in the risk of stroke. Only ALA in the cholesterol ester fraction was associated with a 37% decrease in the risk of stroke using multivariate models. Systolic blood pressure and cigarette smoking were also independently associated with stroke risk. The findings of this study suggest that higher serum levels of ALA are independently associated with a lower risk of stroke in middle?aged men at high risk for CHD. The protective effects may be related to a reduction in platelet aggregability and blood viscosity attributed to n?3 fatty acids, including ALA.
