Research

Mixed

Higher circulating levels of the trans-fatty acid isomer trans/trans-18:2 (t/t-18:2) are associated with significantly increased risks of total mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and total coronary heart disease (CHD).

Avoid foods containing partially hydrogenated oils, as they are the primary source of the trans fatty acid isomer t/t-18:2, which is linked to higher risks of heart disease and death. While natural sources of trans fats exist (like in some dairy/meat), this study highlights that the industrial isomer t/t-18:2 is the most harmful. For older adults, minimizing industrial trans fats is a key step for longevity.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
circulating t/t-18:2 was associated with higher total mortality (extreme quintile hazard ratio (HR)=1.23, 95% CI=1.04 to 1.44, P-trend=0.01), CVD mortality (HR=1.40, 95% CI=1.05 to 1.86, P-trend=0.02), and total CHD (HR=1.39, 95% CI=1.06 to 1.83, P-trend=0.01).
Qianyi Wang et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · 2014

Why this rating

Large prospective cohort (n=2742), long follow-up (31,494 person-years), objective biomarker measurement, and rigorous adjustment for confounders.

Source

Plasma Phospholipid <i>Trans</i> ‐Fatty Acids Levels, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Total Mortality: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Qianyi Wang et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · 2014

DOI 10.1161/jaha.114.000914

cohort · n=2742Cited 52×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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