American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 23, 17-26, Copyright © 1970 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Adipose Tissue Fatty Acid Differences in American Men between 1962 and 1966

¹ From the Departments of Medicine and Biometry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

The fatty acid composition of adipose tissue lipids was compared for 1962 and 1966 in urban American men who had been on their usual diets and had died suddenly and unexpectedly. The men, 27 Caucasians and 12 Negroes for each year, were matched in pairs by race and age, and by race and cohort. In each pair the body weights and extent of coronary arteriosclerosis were comparable. The occupations of the Caucasians were largely skilled types and those of the Negroes unskilled types. With age-matched pairs both races showed small but significant fatty acid differences between 1966 and 1962. In 1966, Caucasians had higher proportions of linoleic acid (+1.7%) and lower proportions of stearic (–1.1%) and oleic (–2.2%) acids, all with P < 0.01, while Negroes had higher proportions of linoleic (+1.7% with P < 0.02) and lower proportions of stearic (–1.1% with P < 0.05) acids. With cohort-matched pairs closely similar differences were observed. These differences did not correlate with age. It is not clear whether these differences are due primarily to changes in diet fat occurring consistently since 1940 or are due to accelerated changes in fat provoked by recent widespread nutritional advice.