Saturated fatty acids and mortality in patients referred for coronary angiography—The Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health study

Background Ceramides exhibit multiple biological activities that may influence the pathophysiological characteristics of atrial fibrillation (AF). Whether the length of the saturated fatty acid carried by the ceramide or their sphingomyelin precursors are associated with AF risk is not known. Methods and Results Among 4206 CHS (Cardiovascular Health Study) participants (mean age, 76 years; 40% men) who were free of prevalent AF at baseline, we identified 1198 incident AF cases over a median 8.7 years of follow‐up. We examined 8 sphingolipid species: ceramide and sphingomyelin species with palmitic acid and species with very‐long‐chain saturated fatty acids: arachidic; behenic; and lignoceric. In adjusted Cox regression analyses, ceramides and sphingomyelins with very‐long‐chain saturated fatty acids were associated with reduced AF risk (ie, per 2‐fold higher ceramide with behenic acid hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.59–0.86; sphingomyelin with behenic acid hazard ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.46–0.77). In contrast, ceramides and sphingomyelins with palmitic acid were associated with increased AF risk (ceramide with palmitic acid hazard ratio, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.03–1.66; sphingomyelin with palmitic acid hazard ratio, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.18–2.55). Associations were attenuated with adjustment for NT‐proBNP (N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide), but did not differ significantly by age, sex, race, body mass index, or history of coronary heart disease. Conclusions Our findings suggest that several ceramide and sphingomyelin species are associated with incident AF, and that these associations differ on the basis of the fatty acid. Ceramides and sphingomyelins with palmitic acid were associated with increased AF risk, whereas ceramides and sphingomyelins with very‐long‐chain saturated fatty acids were associated with reduced AF risk.

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Omega-3 fatty acids and mortality in patients referred for coronary angiography. The Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study

Atherosclerosis ◽

10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2016.06.049 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 252 ◽

pp. 175-181 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Marcus E. Kleber ◽

Graciela E. Delgado ◽

Stefan Lorkowski ◽

Winfried März ◽

Clemens von Schacky

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Coronary Angiography ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Health Study ◽

Cardiovascular Health Study ◽

Omega 3 Fatty Acids ◽

Omega 3

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Plasma Phospholipid Saturated Fatty Acids and Incident Atrial Fibrillation: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Journal of the American Heart Association ◽

10.1161/jaha.114.000889 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Amanda M. Fretts ◽

Dariush Mozaffarian ◽

David S. Siscovick ◽

Luc Djousse ◽

Susan R. Heckbert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Fatty Acids ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Saturated Fatty Acids ◽

Plasma Phospholipid ◽

Health Study ◽

Cardiovascular Health Study

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Circulating Very Long‐Chain Saturated Fatty Acids and Heart Failure: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Journal of the American Heart Association ◽

10.1161/jaha.118.010019 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (21) ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Rozenn N. Lemaitre ◽

Barbara McKnight ◽

Nona Sotoodehnia ◽

Amanda M. Fretts ◽

Waqas T. Qureshi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Fatty Acids ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Saturated Fatty Acids ◽

Health Study ◽

Cardiovascular Health Study ◽

Long Chain

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Trans-fatty acids and mortality in patients referred for coronary angiography: the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/eurheartj/ehv446 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 37 (13) ◽

pp. 1072-1078 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Marcus E. Kleber ◽

Graciela E. Delgado ◽

Stefan Lorkowski ◽

Winfried März ◽

Clemens von Schacky

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Coronary Angiography ◽

Trans Fatty Acids ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Health Study ◽

Cardiovascular Health Study

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Abstract P001: Plasma Phospholipid Saturated Fatty Acids and Incident Atrial Fibrillation: the Cardiovascular Health Study

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.129.suppl_1.p001 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 129 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Amanda M Fretts ◽

Dariush Mozaffarian ◽

David S Siscovick ◽

Luc Djousse ◽

Susan R Heckbert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Fatty Acids ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Saturated Fatty Acids ◽

Membrane Properties ◽

Health Study ◽

Cardiovascular Health Study ◽

Lipid Species

Background: Prior studies suggest that circulating fatty acids may influence the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), but little is known about the associations of circulating saturated fatty acids (SFA) with risk of AF. SFAs of different length differ in dietary and metabolic origin, incorporation into membrane lipid species, membrane properties, and biological activities that may influence the pathophysiology of AF. Moreover, both diet and metabolic pathways are determinants of circulating SFAs. Methods: The study population included 2,899 participants from the Cardiovascular Health Study, a community-based longitudinal cohort of adults aged 65 years or older, free of prevalent coronary heart disease and AF. Cox regression was used to assess the association of all the long-chain saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid (16:0), stearic acid (18:0), arachidic acid (20:0), behenic acid (22:0), and lignoceric acid (24:0), with incident AF. Results: During 29,864 person-years of follow-up, 707 cases of incident AF occurred. After adjustment for other AF risk factors, higher levels of circulating 16:0 were associated with a higher risk of AF (hazard ratio comparing highest to lowest quartiles: 1.48. 95% CI: 1.18, 1.86). On the other hand, higher levels of circulating 18:0, 20:0, 22:0 and 24:0 were each associated with a lower risk of AF. The hazard ratios (95% CI) for AF in the top versus bottom quartile were 0.76 (0.61, 0.95) for 18:0; 0.78 (0.63, 0.97) for 20:0; 0.62 (0.50, 0.78) for 22:0; and 0.68 (0.55, 0.85) for 24:0. Conclusions: Results from this prospective cohort study of older adults demonstrate divergent associations of circulating 16:0 versus longer-chain saturated fatty acids with incident AF, highlighting the need to investigate both determinants of these levels and potential pathways of the observed differential risk.

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Abstract P044: Plasma Phospholipid Very Long Chain Saturated Fatty Acids and Healthy Aging in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.137.suppl_1.p044 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Rozenn N Lemaitre ◽

Mary L Biggs ◽

Barbara McKnight ◽

Heidi T Lai ◽

Xiaoling Song ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Fatty Acid ◽

Lower Risk ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Saturated Fatty Acids ◽

Health Study ◽

Cardiovascular Health Study ◽

Long Chain

Introduction: Circulating very long-chain saturated fatty acids (VLSFA) are biomarkers of diet and metabolism which impart different biological activities to sphingolipids and may influence physiological pathways relevant to aging. Higher levels of circulating VLSFAs have been associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular outcomes, and diabetes. Apart from these associations, it is unknown whether these biomarkers are related to the maintenance of healthy aging. Hypothesis: Higher levels of circulating VLSFA are associated with lower risk of unhealthy aging. Methods: Phospholipid fatty acids were measured in serial plasma samples collected among participants of the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) in 1992-93, 1998-99, and 2005-06. Incident unhealthy aging was defined as the onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, lung disease, severe chronic kidney disease, ≥1 difficulties with activities of daily living (ADL), or reduced cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination<80). We assessed the associations of arachidic acid (20:0), behenic acid (22:0) and lignoceric acid (24:0), with risk of incident unhealthy aging using Cox regression with time-updated fatty acid levels and covariates. Results: Among 2,183 CHS participants with one or more fatty acid measure and healthy aging up to the time of their first VLSFA measurement, mean age at baseline was 75 years, 62% were female, and 12% were black. During median follow-up of 8 years, all but 198 participants failed to age successfully. The most common conditions marking the first occurrence of unhealthy aging were ADL difficulties and CVD (27% each). In analyses adjusted for major risk factors, higher levels of 22:0 and 24:0 were associated with lower risk of unhealthy aging (Table). Conclusions: Higher levels of two circulating VLSFA, 22:0 and 24:0, are associated with lower risk of unhealthy aging. These findings open a new avenue of research into these saturated fatty acids and their possible beneficial role in promoting better aging.

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