Relationship between Dietary Decanoic Acid and Coronary Artery Disease: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a cardiovascular disease with significant personal health and socioeconomic consequences. The biological functions of decanoic acid and the pathogenesis of CAD overlap considerably; however, studies exploring their relationship are limited. Methods: Data from 34,186 Americans from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003 to 2018 were analyzed. The relationship between dietary decanoic acid (DDA) and CAD prevalence was explored using weighted multivariate logistic regression models, generalized summation models, and fitted smoothing curves. Stratified analyses and interaction tests were conducted to explore the potential modifiers between them. Results: DDA was negatively associated with CAD prevalence, with each 1 g/d increase in the DDA being associated with a 21% reduction in CAD prevalence (odds ratio (OR) 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61–1.02). This relationship persisted after log10 and trinomial transformations, respectively. The OR after log10 transformation was 0.81 (95% CI 0.69–0.96), and the OR for tertile 3 compared with tertile 1 was 0.83 (95% CI 0.69–1.00). The subgroup analyses found this relationship to be significant among males and non-Hispanic white individuals, and there was a significant interaction (interaction p-values of 0.011 and 0.012, respectively). Conclusions: DDA was negatively associated with the prevalence of CAD, and both sex and race may modify this relationship.