Objectives: The association between the ingestion of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unclear. To address this, this study utilised data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning from 1999 to 2020.
Methods: Dietary intake information on n-3 and n-6 fatty acids was gathered through 24-hour interviews about dietary recall and adjusted based on weight. RA patient data was collected using questionnaires. Associations were evaluated using logistic regression and spline analyses. The study included a total of 50,352 participants in a cross-sectional manner.
Results: In the adjusted Model 2, higher odds ratios (ORs) of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.60-0.86) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.62-0.92) were observed for n-3 and n-6 fatty acid intake, respectively, compared to the lowest category.
Conclusions: The results suggest a negative correlation between the ingestion of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis in US adults.