Mixed
Replacing saturated fats with omega-6 linoleic acid (LA) from safflower oil increases all-cause, cardiovascular, and coronary heart disease mortality in men with established coronary heart disease.
If you have established heart disease, replacing saturated fats with high-linoleic acid oils (like safflower oil) may increase your risk of death rather than decrease it. Current guidelines recommend this substitution, but this study suggests it might be harmful for this specific population. Consider discussing the specific type of fat (LA vs. n-3) with your cardiologist.
In this cohort, substituting dietary n-6 LA in place of SFA increased the risks of death from all causes, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease.
Why this rating
High-quality RCT data (SDHS) but limited by historical context, small sample size for specific subgroups, and lack of tissue fatty acid validation.
Source
Use of dietary linoleic acid for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and death: evaluation of recovered data from the Sydney Diet Heart Study and updated meta-analysis
Christopher E. Ramsden et al. · BMJ · 2013
DOI 10.1136/bmj.e8707
More from this paper
- Selective substitution of omega-6 linoleic acid (LA) for saturated fat does not provide cardiovascular benefits and may increase mortality, whereas increasing omega-3 PUFAs alongside LA reduces cardiovascular mortality.Good
- The cardiovascular risk associated with high linoleic acid intake is significantly modified by oxidative stress factors, specifically smoking and alcohol consumption.Moderate
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