Free Fatty Acids: Circulating Contributors of Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome induces an increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Most importantly, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adult population is expanding. Both clinical and preclinical studies indicate that increased Free Fatty Acids (FFAs) are involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and subsequent development of metabolic syndrome. The relevance of FFAs in protecting and restoring tissue function is quite vast. The search to correlate the functional deterioration of the tissues within the cardiovascular system and increased plasma concentrations of FFAs has been reported. The importance of reduction in the consumption of dietary fatty acids along with the identification of dysregulated genes responsible for persistent increased FFAs uptake and mitochondrial β-oxidation has been increasingly recognized. This review discusses the current empirical understanding of the different types of fatty acids and their metabolism and functions both in physiological and pathophysiological conditions. We also discuss in detail about the molecular and pathophysiological basis of increased FFAs, which augments Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).

Detection of Early Disease Risk Factors Associated with Metabolic Syndrome: A New Era with the NMR Metabolomics Assessment

“…Lipid and carbohydrates metabolism are closely interconnected. In fact, altered fatty acid profile affects IR and T2D; and vice versa [162]. Structurally, fatty acids can be split by the presence of double bounds in their backbone as saturated (SFA; absence of double bound) and unsaturated fatty acids [162].…”

“…PUFAs include some subgroups identified by the position of the last double bond in their molecular structure [164]. PUFA n-3 include mainly alpha linoleic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while PUFA n-6 include linoleic acid (LA), and arachidonic acid (AA) [162]. Thus, both MUFA and PUFA have been related to an improvement of insulin sensitivity.…”

“…Numerous beneficial healthy effects have been attributed to unsaturated fatty acids, including protection from obesity, diabetes, cancer, and atherosclerosis [162,164]. The most abundant MUFA in typical diets is oleic acid (C18:1n-9) which is effective in lowering the inflammatory response and LDL levels; that together contribute in the reduction of CVD risk [162,163]. High levels of MUFAs were described in the prevention of abdominal fat accumulation.…”

“…High levels of MUFAs were described in the prevention of abdominal fat accumulation. Moreover, the substitution of carbohydrates with MUFA cause a decrease on total blood cholesterol an TGs, reducing the levels of HDL-C [162,163]. The mechanism involved in the anti-inflammatory effect of MUFAs is the inhibition of NF-kB activity [167].…”

Diabetes and Chronic Inflammation for Future Research Development

“…Recently, Palmitoleic acid has been in focus for increasing fatty acid oxidation in white adipocytes [9]. High levels of free fatty acids are known to correlate with the onset of heart death and type-2 diabetes, and diets rich in saturated fatty acids (SFA) are also associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease [10]. SFA induced insulin resistance, endotoxemia and significantly increased harmful plasma ceramides.…”