Fatty acids linked to cardiovascular mortality are associated with risk factors

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough saturated fatty acids (FAs) have been linked to cardiovascular mortality, it is not clear whether this outcome is attributable solely to their effects on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or whether other risk factors are also associated with FAs. The Western Alaskan Native population, with its rapidly changing lifestyles, shift in diet from unsaturated to saturated fatty acids and dramatic increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD), presents an opportunity to elucidate any associations between specific FAs and known CVD risk factors.ObjectiveWe tested the hypothesis that the specific FAs previously identified as related to CVD mortality are also associated with individual CVD risk factors.MethodsIn this community-based, cross-sectional study, relative proportions of FAs in plasma and red blood cell membranes were compared with CVD risk factors in a sample of 758 men and women aged ≥35 years. Linear regression analyses were used to analyze relations between specific FAs and CVD risk factors (LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index, fasting glucose and fasting insulin, 2-hour glucose and 2-hour insulin).ResultsThe specific saturated FAs previously identified as related to CVD mortality, the palmitic and myristic acids, were adversely associated with most CVD risk factors, whereas unsaturated linoleic acid (18:2n-6) and the marine n-3 FAs were not associated or were beneficially associated with CVD risk factors.ConclusionsThe results suggest that CVD risk factors are more extensively affected by individual FAs than hitherto recognized, and that risk for CVD, MI and stroke can be reduced by reducing the intake of palmitate, myristic acid and simple carbohydrates and improved by greater intake of linoleic acid and marine n-3 FAs.

Associations of Whole Blood n-3 and n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids with Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents – Results from the IDEFICS/I.Family Cohort

“…As observed in boys in our study, a positive association of GLA with BP was also found in Chinese and Western Alaskan Native adults [13, 45]. GLA is generated from LA by D6D and can—after being elongated to DGLA—further be desaturated by D5D to ARA.…”

“…Further, elevated childhood BP has been shown to predict elevated BP in adolescence and adulthood [5–7] and other adulthood cardiovascular diseases [8–10]. Serum and erythrocyte fatty acids (FA) have been suggested to be associated with BP in adults [11–13] although not all studies confirmed this association [14]. …”

Adding palm oil to the diet of sheep alters fatty acids profile on yogurt: Benefits to consumers

“…Lipidic supplementation, mainly by those rich in PFA is efficient to reduce short and medium-chain fatty acids of milk Baumann et al (2016), which is desirable since these fatty acids are frequently linked to human coronary diseases (Ebbesson et al 2015). In this study, we observed a reduction on SFA content, as well as an increase on MFA and PFA contents, demonstrating that palm oil supplementation exerts positive effects on sheep milk.…”

Saturated palmitic acid induces myocardial inflammatory injuries through direct binding to TLR4 accessory protein MD2

“…Excessive lipids activate detrimental signalling pathways leading to the generation of inflammatory molecules and tissue remodelling, resulting in cardiomyopathy1447. Identification of key signalling molecules underlying cardiac inflammation may lead to novel treatments for obesity-associated complications.…”