Abstract
Background Limited knowledge exists on the association between intake of long-chained n-3 polyunsaturated
fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) and risk of recurrence and all-cause mortality in patients
with venous thromboembolism (VTE).
Objectives This article investigates whether intake of marine n-3 PUFAs was associated with
risk of recurrence and mortality in patients with incident VTE.
Methods A total of 595 patients with incident VTE and available data on n-3 PUFA intake were
derived from the Tromsø Study surveys 4 (1994–1995) and 6 (2007–2008). Weekly intake
of n-3 PUFAs was categorized as low, medium, and high based on tertiles. Recurrent
VTEs and all-cause mortality were registered up to December 31, 2016. Hazard ratios
(HRs) were calculated using Cox regression models with the low intake category as
reference.
Results There were 98 recurrent VTEs and 227 deaths during follow-up. Overall, we found no
association between intake of n-3 PUFAs and risk of recurrent VTE. However, inverse
associations were found for high intakes in patients with unprovoked VTE (HR 0.45,
95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20–1.01), cancer-free patients (HR 0.51, 95% CI: 0.27–0.95),
and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) patients (HR 0.49, 95% CI: 0.24–0.97). The inverse
associations were more evident when follow-up was restricted to the time after discontinuation
of anticoagulant therapy. No association was observed between intake of n-3 PUFAs
and mortality after incident VTE.
Conclusion A high dietary intake of marine n-3 PUFAs was associated with lower risk of recurrent
VTE after unprovoked index events, DVT, and in cancer-free patients.
Keywords
diet - omega-3 fatty acids - recurrence - risk factors - venous thromboembolism
