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Serum folate and risk of fatal coronary heart disease
H I Morrison1, D Schaubel, M Desmeules
1Cancer Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
Objective:
To assess the relationship between serum folate level and the risk of fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) among men and women.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study with serum folate levels measured from September 1970 to December 1972, with follow-up through 1985.
Setting:
Participants in the Nutrition Canada Survey.
Participants:
A total of 5056 Canadian men and women aged 35 to 79 years with no history of self-reported CHD.
Main Outcome Measure:
Fifteen-year CHD mortality.
Results:
A total of 165 CHD deaths were observed. We found a statistically significant association between serum folate level and risk of fatal CHD, with rate ratios for individuals in the lowest serum folate level category (<6.8 nmol/L [3 ng/mL]) compared with the highest category (>13.6 nmol/L [6 ng/mL]) of 1.69 (95% confidence interval, 1.10-2.61).
Conclusions:
These data indicate that low serum folate levels are associated with an increased risk of fatal CHD.