TY - JOUR
T1 - The ratio of serum eicosapentaenoic acid to arachidonic acid and risk of cancer death in a Japanese community
T2 - The Hisayama Study
AU - Nagata, Masaharu
AU - Hata, Jun
AU - Hirakawa, Yoichiro
AU - Mukai, Naoko
AU - Yoshida, Daigo
AU - Ohara, Tomoyuki
AU - Kishimoto, Hiro
AU - Kawano, Hiroyuki
AU - Kitazono, Takanari
AU - Kiyohara, Yutaka
AU - Ninomiya, Toshiharu
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (25253048) and (C) (25460758, 26350895, 26460748, 15K09267, 15K08738, and 15K09835) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan; by Health and Labour Sciences Research Grants of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (H25-Junkankitou [Seishuu]-Sitei-022, H26-Junkankitou [Seisaku]-Ippan-001, and H27-Shokuhin-[Sitei]-017); and by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) (15dk0207003h0003, 15dk0207018h0001, 15ek0210001h0003, 15ek0210004h0102, and 15gm0610007h0203 (CREST)). In addition, this study was sponsored by Mochida pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan). The sponsor of the study had no role in the study design, conduct of the study, data collection, or preparation of the report.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Authors.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Background: Whether the intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or arachidonic acid (AA) affects the risk of cancer remains unclear, and the association between the serum EPA:AA ratio and cancer risk has not been fully evaluated in general populations. Methods: A total of 3098 community-dwelling subjects aged ≥40 years were followed up for 9.6 years (2002-2012). The levels of the serum EPA:AA ratio were categorized into quartiles (< 0.29, 0.29-0.41, 0.42-0.60, and > 0.60). The risk estimates were computed using a Cox proportional hazards model. The same analyses were conducted for the serum docosahexaenoic acid to arachidonic acid (DHA:AA) ratio and individual fatty acid concentrations. Results: During the follow-up period, 121 subjects died of cancer. Age- and sex-adjusted cancer mortality increased with lower serum EPA:AA ratio levels (P trend < 0.05). In the multivariable-adjusted analysis, the subjects in the first quartile of the serum EPA:AA ratio had a 1.93-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.15-3.22) greater risk of cancer death than those in the fourth quartile. Lower serum EPA concentrations were marginally associated with higher cancer mortality (P trend < 0.11), but the serum DHA or AA concentrations and the serum DHA:AA ratio were not (all P trend > 0.37). With regard to site-specific cancers, lower serum EPA:AA ratio was associated with a higher risk of death from liver cancer. However, no such associations were detected for deaths from other cancers. Conclusions: These findings suggest that decreased level of the serum EPA:AA ratio is a significant risk factor for cancer death in the general Japanese population.
AB - Background: Whether the intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or arachidonic acid (AA) affects the risk of cancer remains unclear, and the association between the serum EPA:AA ratio and cancer risk has not been fully evaluated in general populations. Methods: A total of 3098 community-dwelling subjects aged ≥40 years were followed up for 9.6 years (2002-2012). The levels of the serum EPA:AA ratio were categorized into quartiles (< 0.29, 0.29-0.41, 0.42-0.60, and > 0.60). The risk estimates were computed using a Cox proportional hazards model. The same analyses were conducted for the serum docosahexaenoic acid to arachidonic acid (DHA:AA) ratio and individual fatty acid concentrations. Results: During the follow-up period, 121 subjects died of cancer. Age- and sex-adjusted cancer mortality increased with lower serum EPA:AA ratio levels (P trend < 0.05). In the multivariable-adjusted analysis, the subjects in the first quartile of the serum EPA:AA ratio had a 1.93-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.15-3.22) greater risk of cancer death than those in the fourth quartile. Lower serum EPA concentrations were marginally associated with higher cancer mortality (P trend < 0.11), but the serum DHA or AA concentrations and the serum DHA:AA ratio were not (all P trend > 0.37). With regard to site-specific cancers, lower serum EPA:AA ratio was associated with a higher risk of death from liver cancer. However, no such associations were detected for deaths from other cancers. Conclusions: These findings suggest that decreased level of the serum EPA:AA ratio is a significant risk factor for cancer death in the general Japanese population.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.je.2017.01.004
DO - 10.1016/j.je.2017.01.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 28669629
AN - SCOPUS:85030778264
VL - 27
SP - 578
EP - 583
JO - Journal of Epidemiology
JF - Journal of Epidemiology
SN - 0917-5040
IS - 12
ER -