# Use of dietary linoleic acid for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and death: evaluation of recovered data from the Sydney Diet Heart Study and updated meta-analysis
Canonical: https://nutritionizm.com/research/10-1136-bmj-e8707/
Last verified: 2026-10-26
Source: BMJ (2013), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e8707
License: USDA FoodData Central values are public domain (CC0 1.0); Nutritionizm compilation and plain-language text are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (attribution: link to Canonical URL).

## TL;DR

Replacing saturated fat with safflower oil rich in linoleic acid did not protect the heart and was linked to higher death rates in men with prior heart events.

## What they did

Researchers studied 458 men aged 30-59 years who recently had a coronary event. They assigned 221 men to replace saturated fats with safflower oil and margarine high in linoleic acid. A control group of 237 men received no special diet instructions. The researchers also added this recovered trial data to an updated group of past studies.

## What they found

Men in the diet group had higher death rates from all causes at 17.6% compared to 11.8% in the control group. Cardiovascular disease deaths were 17.2% in the diet group versus 11.0% in controls. Deaths from coronary heart disease were 16.3% in the diet group compared to 10.1% in controls.

## Why it matters

Diet guidelines often suggest replacing solid animal fats with vegetable oils. These findings suggest that using oils high in linoleic acid may not offer the expected heart benefits. Everyday food choices may depend on the specific type of fat rather than grouping all plant oils together.

## Limits

The abstract does not discuss study limits. This is general education, not medical advice.

## Jargon explained

- **Linoleic acid**: A specific type of omega 6 polyunsaturated fat found in vegetable oils such as safflower oil.
- **Saturated fat**: A type of dietary fat found in animal fats, butter, and shortenings that stays solid at room temperature.

## Full citation

Christopher E. Ramsden, Daisy Zamora, B. Leelarthaepin, Sharon F. Majchrzak‐Hong, Keturah R. Faurot, Chirayath Suchindran, A. Ringel, John M. Davis, Joseph R. Hibbeln (2013). Use of dietary linoleic acid for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and death: evaluation of recovered data from the Sydney Diet Heart Study and updated meta-analysis. *BMJ*. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e8707