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Association of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid intake with leukocyte telomere length in US males

B. Seo, Keming Yang, K. Kahe, A. Qureshi, A. Chan, I. De Vivo, E. Cho, E. Giovannucci et al.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2022

9 citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) fatty acids may contribute to oxidative stress and inflammation, which are related to telomere shortening. Evidence supporting an association between intake of n-3 or n-6 fatty acids and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in males has been limited.

OBJECTIVES: We conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the associations of total or individual n-3 or total n-6 fatty acid intake with LTL in US males.

METHODS: We included 2,494 US males with LTL measurement from 4 nested case-control studies within the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Individuals with previous histories of cancers, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases at or before blood collection were excluded. Blood collection was performed between 1993 and 1995, and relevant information including n-3 and n-6 intake was collected in 1994 by questionnaire. The LTL was log-transformed and Z scores of the LTL were calculated for statistical analyses by standardizing the LTL in comparison with the mean within each selected nested case-control study.

RESULTS: We found that consumption of DHA (22:6n-3) was positively associated with LTL. In the multivariable-adjusted model, compared with individuals who had the lowest intake of DHA (i.e., first quartile group), the percentage differences (95% CIs) of LTL were -3.7 (-13.7, 7.5), 7.0 (-4.3, 19.7), and 8.2 (-3.5, 21.3) for individuals in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of consumption, respectively (P-trend = 0.0498). We did…

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Evidence Hub reads this as a case-control, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause.

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