AUTHOR=Wu Jiandi , Qiu Min , Sun Lichang , Wen Jiangxiong , Liang Dong-liang , Zheng Sulin , Huang Yuli 

TITLE=α-Linolenic Acid and Risk of Heart Failure: A Meta-Analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2021.788452

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2021.788452

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> The α-linolenic acid is a plant origin n-3 fatty acid that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the effect of α-linolenic acid (ALA) on the risk of heart failure (HF) remains unclear. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to determine the role of ALA in the risk of incident HF.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Electronic databases were searched for studies up to August 10, 2021. Studies were included for meta-analysis if the adjusted risk of HF in different dietary intake or circulating levels of ALA was reported. We used the random-effects model to calculate the estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CI for higher ALA.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> A total of 6 studies (7 cohorts) comprising 135,270 participants were included for meta-analysis. After a median follow-up duration of 10 years, 5,905 cases of HF were recorded. No significant heterogeneity was observed among all the included studies. Random-effects model analyses showed that there was no significant association between ALA and the risk of incident HF, either assessed as quintiles (highest quintile vs. lowest quintile: HR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.86–1.06) or per 1 <italic>SD</italic> increment (HR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.95–1.01). Furthermore, we did not observe any association between ALA and the risk of HF in subgroup analyses performed according to age, sex, follow-up duration, and measuring method of ALA.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> We found no association between ALA and the risk of incident HF, suggesting that ALA might not be effective in the prevention of HF.</p>