Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract

Over the last 30 years, research has contributed enormously to our knowledge of risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD). However, there are still considerable gaps in our understanding of its aetiology and this disease remains the major cause of death in middle and old age within the UK. However, in England and Wales, between 1980 and 1988, CHD mortality rates have decreased by 17–35% among middle-aged men (Table 10.1). The 55–64 year age group shows the smallest percentage decrease (17%), but of course this reflects the greatest decrease in absolute number of deaths. Data on the relationships between the consumption of unsaturated fatty acids and CHD are available from several sources: cross-cultural comparisons, secular trends, case-control comparisons, cohort studies and intervention trials. Each of these sources of evidence will be discussed in the following sections.