Am J Epidemiol in press

Dietary Fat Intake and Risk of Uterine Leiomyomata: A Prospective Ultrasound Study.

Brasky TM, Bethea TN, Wesselink AK, Wegienka GR, Baird DD, Wise LA

Uterine leiomyomata (UL) are associated with severe reproductive morbidity and are the primary indication for hysterectomy in the United States. A recent prospective cohort study of Black women reported positive associations between intakes of marine-sourced omega-3 fatty acids and UL risk. We examined whether intakes of dietary fat were associated with UL incidence in a 5-year prospective study of premenopausal Black women living in Detroit who underwent serial ultrasound. At baseline (2010-2012) and 20, 40, and 60 months of follow-up, participants underwent transvaginal ultrasound. Among 1,171 UL-free women at baseline, incident UL were detected in 277 women. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association of dietary fat and UL incidence. Intakes of total fat and saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated (PUFA), and trans-fat were not appreciably associated with UL incidence. Intake of the marine omega-3 PUFA, docosahexaenoic acid, was associated with 49% higher UL incidence (quartile 4 vs. 1: HR 1.49, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.14; P trend=0.01). Intakes of total marine omega-3 PUFAs were similarly associated with elevated UL incidence (HR 1.35, 95% CI: 0.94, 1.93; P trend=0.03). It remains unclear whether the fatty acids or persistent environmental pollutants drive the association.