Replacing Saturated Fats with Linoleic Acid–Rich Vegetable Oils Lowers Total Cholesterol but Not Mortality

Randomized trials have shown that replacing dietary saturated fats with linoleic acid (an ω-6 polyunsaturated fat) lowers total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, but none have shown that doing so prevents coronary heart disease (CHD) or lengthens survival. In this study, researchers recovered and analyzed unpublished data from the 1968–1973 Minnesota Coronary Experiment (MCE), a double-blind, randomized trial designed to test whether serum cholesterol-lowering with a diet that replaces saturated fats with vegetable oil rich in linoleic acid protects against CHD and all-cause death. The researchers also conducted a meta-analysis of pooled data from the MCE and four similar trials.

About 9400 residents of state hospitals and a nursing ho…