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Dietary omega-3 fatty acid intake late in life may reduce mortality

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High circulating levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids appear to be associated with lower risk for mortality — especially CHD death — in older adults, according to new study results.

Researchers studied 2,692 healthy adults aged 69 to 79 years who were not taking any fish oil supplements to determine the association between plasma individual and total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels on total and cause-specific mortality. Sixty-three percent of participants were women and 87% were white.

 

Dariush Mozaffarian

In 1992, researchers measured phospholipid fatty acid levels and CV risk factors. In 2008, plasma individual and total omega-3 polyunsaturated levels were assessed against total and cause-specific mortality and incident total (fatal plus nonfatal) CHD.

During 30,829 person-years of follow-up, 1,625 deaths, including 570 CVD deaths; 359 fatal and 371 nonfatal CHD events; and 130 fatal and 276 nonfatal strokes occurred. After multivariate adjustment, researchers found that higher plasma levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated biomarkers were linked with lower total mortality:

• Eicosapentaenoic acid (HR=0.83; 95% CI, 0.71-0.98);
• Docosapentaenoic acid (HR=0.77; 95% CI, 0.66-0.9);
• Docosahexaenoic acid (HR=0.8; 95% CI, 0.67-0.94); and
• Total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (HR=0.73; 95% CI, 0.61-0.86).

Patients with higher baseline levels of individual and total omega-3 polyunsatured fatty acids had a lower risk for mortality primarily due to fewer CV deaths. The researchers noted a specific association between fewer arrhythmic cardiac deaths and total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (HR=0.52; 95% CI, 0.31-0.86).

Patients with the highest levels of phospholipid omega-3 levels studied lived an average of 2.2 more years after the age of 65 years compared with patients with the lowest levels.

"Because these biomarkers were measured among older adults, our findings suggest that dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid late in life may reduce total mortality," Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, associate professor in the department of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues wrote in the study. "Alternatively, these associations could reflect an influence of lifelong dietary habits.”

For more information:

Mozaffarian D. Ann Intern Med. 2013;158:515-525.

Disclosure:The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.