Fat type more important than quantity in cutting CV deaths

The type of dietary fats consumed by middle-aged men may be more important than reducing total fat intake to lower the risk of dying from heart disease, suggests a study out yesterday.

Replacing foods high in saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats has long been recommended for a healthier heart, but researchers from the University of Kuopio in Finland say that few studies have provided scientific support for this advice.

David E. Laaksonen and colleagues assessed the dietary intake of linoleic acid (a liquid polyunsaturated fatty acid abundant in plant oils like flaxseed and linseed) and total polyunsaturated fatty acid intake with cardiovascular and overall rates of death in 1,551 middle-aged men living in eastern Finland.

"Middle-aged men with proportions of serum linoleic acid, omega-6 fatty acids, and especially PUFA in the upper third were up to three times less likely to die of cardiovascular disease than men with proportions in the lower third,” write the researchers in the 24 January issue of Archives of Internal Medicine (165, pp193-199).

The study lends further support to the trend of formulating with omega-3 and omega-6 ingredients.

"Dietary fat quality thus seems more important than fat quantity in the reduction of cardiovascular disease mortality in middle-aged men," conclude the researchers.