Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the intake of omega-3 fatty acid (n-3 FA) in two population groups in Saudi Arabia-one living in the coastal region and one living in the internal region-and to examine the relationship between n-3 FA intakes and non-fatal myocardial infarction and risk factors for heart disease. Sixty elderly men from each region participated. Histories of non-fatal myocardial infarction and heart disease risk factors were collected from medical files. A 24-hour dietary recall and two-day food records were collected. Data were analyzed using student t-test, chi-square, and point-biserial correlation. Total n-3 FA intakes were higher among residents in the coastal than the internal region (P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between n-3 FA intakes and rates of non-fatal myocardial infarction in both the coastal (p<0.01) and internal (P<0.05) regions. We conclude that food consumption patterns of n-3 FA differ by region of the country. Intake of n-3 FA is negatively correlated with non-fatal myocardial and at least one primary risk factor of heart disease in both regions.