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Trans fat intake associated with ischemic stroke risk in postmenopausal women
Yaemsiri S. Ann Neurol. 2012;doi:10.1002/ana.23555.
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Postmenopausal women who consume higher amounts of trans fat may be at an increased risk for ischemic stroke, regardless of lifestyle and dietary factors. However, aspirin may lessen the potential effects of trans fat intake on stroke risk in this population.
“Women with higher trans fat intake had elevated incidence of lacunar and cardioembolic, but not atherothrombotic infarction, the subtype of ischemic stroke that has been associated with elevated total cholesterol and decreased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol,” the researchers wrote.
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The prospective cohort study included 87,025 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years who were enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. A self-administered food frequency questionnaire was dispensed to assess repeated and validated dietary habits. HRs for ischemic stroke were based on quintiles of the cumulative average of fat intake, according to the researchers.
During a follow-up of 663,041 person-years, the researchers recorded 1,049 incident cases of ischemic stroke.
Ischemic stroke incidence was significantly higher in women in the highest quintile of trans fat intake (6.1 g/day) vs. women in the lowest quintile (2.2 g/day; HR=1.39; 95% CI, 1.08-1.79) after adjusting for covariates. A stratified analysis revealed a 66% increased incidence of ischemic stroke for women in the highest quintile vs. the lowest, who were non-aspirin users (HR=1.66; 95% CI, 1.21-2.36).
The association between trans fat intake and stroke incidence was attenuated among aspirin users (n=19,736; HR=0.95; 95% CI, 0.6-1.48).
The researchers reported no evidence of a relationship between trans fat intake and statin use (P=.85), alcohol intake (P=.60) or hormone therapy (P=.26).
“Our results highlight the importance of limiting the amount of dietary trans fat intake and using aspirin for primary ischemic stroke prevention among women, specifically postmenopausal women who have elevated risk of ischemic stroke,” the researchers said.
Disclosure: Study researcher Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, PhD, reports pending grants from the NIH.
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