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Research: MAKHOUL and COLLEAGUES,
Listed in Issue 190
Abstract
MAKHOUL and COLLEAGUES, Cancer Prevention Program, Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109-1024, USA. zmakhoul@fhcrc.org examined whether high eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid intakes, measured as percentages of total red blood cell (RBC) fatty acids, modify associations of obesity with chronic disease risk biomarkers.
Background
N-3 fatty acids are associated with favourable, and obesity with unfavourable, concentrations of chronic disease risk biomarkers.
Methodology
In a cross-sectional study of 330 Yup'ik Eskimos, generalized additive models (GAM) and linear and quadratic regression models were used to examine associations of BMI with biomarkers across RBC EPA and DHA categories.
Results
Median (5th-95th percentile) RBC EPA and DHA were 2.6% (0.5-5.9%) and 7.3% (3.3-8.9%), respectively. In regression models, associations of BMI with triglycerides, glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and leptin differed significantly by RBC EPA and DHA. The GAM confirmed regression results for triglycerides and CRP: at low RBC EPA and RBC DHA, the predicted increases in triglycerides and CRP concentrations associated with a BMI increase from 25 to 35 were 99.5+/-45.3 mg/dl (106%) and 137.8+/-71.0mg/dl (156%), respectively, for triglycerides and 1.2+/-0.7mg/l (61%) and 0.8+/-1.0mg/l (35%), respectively, for CRP. At high RBC EPA and RBC DHA, these predicted increases were 13.9+/-8.1mg/dl (23%) and 12.0+/-12.3mg/dl (18%), respectively, for triglycerides and 0.5+/-0.5mg/l (50%) and -0.5+/-0.6mg/l (-34%), respectively, for CRP.
Conclusion
In this population, high RBC EPA and DHA were associated with attenuated dyslipidemia and low-grade systemic inflammation among overweight and obese persons. This may help inform recommendations for n-3 fatty acid intakes in the reduction of obesity-related disease risk.
References
Makhoul Z, Kristal AR, Gulati R, Luick B, Bersamin A, O'Brien D, Hopkins SE, Stephensen CB, Stanhope KL, Havel PJ, Boyer B. Associations of obesity with triglycerides and C-reactive protein are attenuated in adults with high red blood cell eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. Source European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 65(7):808-17, 2011 Jul. Other ID Source: NLM. NIHMS277749 [Available on 01/01/12] Source: NLM. PMC3123414 [Available on 01/01/12]
