Background. Epidemiological and randomized clinical trials indicate that marine polyunsaturated
n-3 fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) may have cardioprotective effects. Aim. Evaluate the associations between serum
fatty acid profile, traditional risk factors, the presence of
cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and peak
Troponin T (
TnT) levels in elderly patients with an acute
myocardial infarction (AMI). Materials and Methods. Patients (n = 299) consecutively included in the ongoing
Omega-3 fatty acids in elderly patients with
myocardial infarction (OMEMI) trial were investigated. Peak
TnT was registered during the
hospital stay. Serum
fatty acid analysis was performed 2-8 weeks later. Results. No significant correlations between peak
TnT levels and any of the n-3 PUFAs were observed. However, patients with a history of
atrial fibrillation had significantly lower
docosahexaenoic acid levels than patients without. Significantly lower peak
TnT levels were observed in patients with a history of
hyperlipidemia, angina, MI,
atrial fibrillation,
intermittent claudication, and previous revascularization (all p < 0.02). Conclusions. In an elderly population with AMI, no association between individual serum
fatty acids and estimated
myocardial infarct size could be demonstrated. However, a history of
hyperlipidemia and the presence of CVD were associated with lower peak
TnT levels, possibly because of treatment with cardioprotective medications.