Aspirin Use May Moderate Harmful Effects of Trans Fat Consumption
New research shows an increased risk of ischemic stroke in
postmenopausal women who consume higher amounts of trans fatty acids,
commonly found in baked goods, fried foods, and packaged products. Study
findings now available in Annals
of Neurology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf
of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society,
suggest aspirin use may moderate the stroke risk caused by a diet high
in trans fats.
Ischemic stroke is a result of a blockage in an artery leading to the
brain. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 795,000 people
have a new or recurrent stroke in the U.S. each year. Reports from the
AHA indicate that stroke is the fourth cause of death in the U.S.,
killing more than 137,000 Americans each year with 60% of those deaths
in women. Previous research suggests that increased incidence of
cardiovascular disease—one of the risk factors for stroke—is associated
with trans fat consumption. However, in other prior studies no
significant association was found between dietary fat intake and stroke.
In the largest study of stroke in postmenopausal women to date, Dr. Ka
He and colleagues analyzed data from the Women’s Health Initiative
Observational Study (WHI-OS)—a prospective cohort study of 87,025 women
between the ages 50 and 79 who are generally in good health. At the time
of enrollment participants were given a self-administered food frequency
questionnaire and again three years later to assess their diet. The
questionnaire asked about frequency of intake and portion size for 122
goods and food groups during a 3-month period and included questions
related to fat consumption from meat, dairy, cooking, and reduced fat
food items.
Results show 1,049 incident cases of ischemic stroke over 663,041
person-years of follow-up. Women who had the highest trans fat intake
(6.1 grams/day) had a 39% greater incidence of stroke compared to those
who consumed less (2.2 grams/day). Researchers found no significant
associations between total fat, other types of fat, or dietary
cholesterol. Aspirin use was shown to reduce the association between
trans fat intake and stroke.
Additionally, researchers determined that of the ischemic stroke cases,
there were 101 atherotherombotic, 234 cardioembolic and 269 lacunar
infarctions, with another 445 unspecified cases that were not included
in the subtype analysis. After adjusting for clinical, lifestyle and
dietary factors results showed trans fat intake was associated with a
higher risk of lacunar infarction.
“Our findings confirm that postmenopausal women with higher trans fat
intake had an elevated risk of ischemic stroke, but aspirin use may
reduce the adverse effects,” concludes Dr. He. “We recommend following a
diet low in trans fat and adding an aspirin regimen to help women reduce
their risk of stroke, specifically following the onset of menopause.”
The WHI program is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study by
Dr. He and colleagues was funded by a grant from the National Institute
of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
