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=Volume 8 - 2021

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=Background: a-linolenic acid (ALA) is a plant origin n-3 fatty acid of that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the effect of 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.
Methods: 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-effect model to calculate the estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for higher ALA. 
Results: A total of 6 studies (7 cohorts) comprising 135,270 participants were included for meta-analysis. After a median follow-up duration of 10.0 years, 5905 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 SD 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. 
Conclusions: We found no association between ALA and the risk of incident HF, suggesting that ALA might not be effective in the prevention of HF.