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Associations between Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes: SEARCH Nutrition Ancillary Study
Author(s) -
Couch Sarah Collins,
Crandell Jamie,
King Irena,
Peairs Abigail,
Shah Amy,
Dolan Lawrence,
Tooze Janet,
Crume Tessa,
MayerDavis Elizabeth
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.1163.12
Subject(s) - polyunsaturated fatty acid , docosahexaenoic acid , eicosapentaenoic acid , linoleic acid , medicine , arachidonic acid , endocrinology , type 2 diabetes , insulin , type 1 diabetes , fatty acid , diabetes mellitus , chemistry , biochemistry , enzyme
There is ongoing debate regarding the optimal quantity and relative proportion of n‐3 and n‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for cardiovascular benefits. This debate is clinically relevant to youth with type 1 diabetes who are prone to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its complications. In this longitudinal study we explored the relationships between plasma n‐3 and n‐6 PUFAs and Δ5 and Δ6 desaturase activities (D5D and D6D, respectively) and fasting lipids in youth with type 1 diabetes. Incident cases of type 1 diabetes seen for a baseline exam (N=914) and at 1‐year (N=416) were included. Plasma phospholipid n‐6 PUFAs included linoleic acid (LA), dihomo‐γ‐linolenic acid (DGLA) and arachidonic acid (AA); n‐3 PUFAs included α‐linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Estimated D5D and D6D were calculated as FA product‐to‐precursor ratios, where D5D= AA/DGLA and D6D = DGLA/LA. Models for individual PUFAs, D5D and D6D were adjusted for age, parental education, race, sex, clinic site, diabetes duration, insulin regimen, insulin dose/kg, HbA1c, insulin sensitivity score, and body mass index z‐score and included random effects to account for the repeated measurements. Favorable lipid associations were found between LA and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (β= −0.58, P<0.05); AA, plasma triglycerides (TG) (β= −0.04, P<0.05) and TG/high‐density lipoprotein (HDL)‐C (β= −0.04, P<0.05); and D5D, plasma TG (β= −0.2, P<0.05) and TG/HDL‐cholesterol (β= −0.23, P<0.05). Findings were mixed for the n‐3 PUFAs and DGLA: ALA was positively associated with plasma TG (β= 0.33, P<0.05) and HDL cholesterol (β= 9.86, P<0.05); EPA was positively associated with total cholesterol (β= 8.17, P<0.05), LDL cholesterol (β=5.74, P<0.01) and HDL cholesterol (β= 2.27, P<0.01); and DGLA was positively associated with TG/HDL‐cholesterol (β= 0.05, P<0.05) These findings suggest a beneficial effect of the n‐6 PUFAs LA and AA on CVD lipid risk profile; mixed results for the n‐3 PUFAs add to the considerable controversy regarding these FAs in the prevention of CVD risk. Further research is needed to determine the mechanism by which PUFAs alter plasma lipids and whether the associations observed are related to long‐term health outcomes in youth with type 1 diabetes. Support or Funding Information Grant Support: SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PA numbers 00097, DP‐05‐069, and DP‐10‐001) and supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.