Serum non-esterified fatty acid levels and hip fracture risk: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Among elderly participants from the Cardiovascular Health Study, we found that non-esterified trans fatty acid levels had a significant prospective association with hip fracture risk. Other non-esterified fatty acid classes were not associated with hip fracture risk.

Serum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) are bioactive metabolic intermediates that can be taken up by bone tissue. Their associations with hip fracture risk have not been previously examined.

Thirty-five individual NEFAs in five classes (saturated [SFA], mono-un-saturated [MUFA], poly-unsaturated n-6 and n-3 [PUFA], and trans-FA) were measured in Cardiovascular Health Study participants (n = 2139, mean age 77.8 years) without known diabetes. The multivariable associations of NEFA levels with hip fracture risk were evaluated in Cox hazards models.

We documented 303 incident hip fractures during 11.1 years of follow-up. Among the five NEFA classes, total trans FA levels were positively associated with higher hip fracture risk (HR 1.17 [95% CI, 1.04, 1.31; p = 0.01] per one standard deviation higher level). The SFA lignoceric acid (24:0) was positively associated with higher risk (HR 1.09 [1.04, 1.1]; p < 0.001), while behenic (22:0) and docosatetraenoic (22:4 n6) acids were associated with lower risk (HR 0.76 [0.61, 0.94]; p = 0.01; 0.84 [0.70, 1.00]; p = 0.05, respectively).

Total plasma trans NEFA levels are related to hip fracture risk, suggesting an unrecognized benefit of their systematic removal from food. Novel associations of individual NEFAs with hip fracture risk require confirmation in other cohort studies.