Research: EGELAND and colleagues,

Listed in Issue 78

Abstract

EGELAND and colleagues, National Health Screening Service, Research Department, P.O. Box 8155, 0033 Oslo, Norway, grace.egeland@isf.uib.no, explored whether cod liver oil (CLO) consumption was protective against coronary heart disease (CHD).

Background

Some have suggested that omega-3 fatty acid consumption may reduce the adverse effect of smoking on CHD risk.

Methodology

The study population was a cohort of 52,138 men and women participating in a cardiovascular disease screening in Norway. At the time of baseline screening, carried out by the National Health Screening Service of Norway from 1977-83, subjects were aged 35-54 years. 42,612 (82%) of the subjects completed a dietary questionnaire.

Results

12.5% of questionnaire respondents reported using CLO. At baseline, CLO users had lower triglyceride levels, adjusting for age, body mass index, time since last meal and income (p0.05). At December 1992, 639 deaths due to CHD had occurred among male participants and 118 among females. Overall, no effect of CLO consumption reported at baseline on CHD mortality was observed (Cox Proportional Hazards analyses: Hazard Ratio [HR], 1.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.8, 1.3). In analyses stratified by smoking status, never smokers and current smokers showed non-significant beneficial associations between CLO use and CHD mortality (HR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.4, 1.5; and HR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.6, 1.2, respectively). However, among former smokers, a non- significant excess risk of CHD mortality was associated with CLO use (HR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.9, 2.6). Smokers, regardless of their CLO use, were at a substantially higher risk of CHD mortality relative to non-smokers.

Conclusion

Omega-3 fatty acid [as CLO] supplementation, as practised in this cohort, provided no significant benefits to CHD risk among study participants.

References

Egeland GM et al. Cod liver oil consumption, smoking, and coronary heart disease mortality: three counties, Norway. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 60 (2): 143-9. Apr 2001. @i:69

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