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The relationships between erythrocyte membrane n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio and blood lipids and C-reactive protein in Chinese adults: an observational study

Zhang B, Wang P, Zhou Q, Chen C, Zhuo S, Ye Y, He Q, Chen Y et al.

Biomedical and environmental sciences : BES, 2011

171 participants

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationships between erythrocyte membrane n-6:n-3 PUFAs ratio and blood lipids and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).

METHODS: The observational study consisted of a population-based cross-sectional study of 456 Chinese and a subsequent 1-year follow-up study of 171 subjects with the fasting plasma total cholesterol of 5.13-8.00 mmol/L.

RESULTS: In the cross-sectional analysis, plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) had a significant and negative association with the erythrocyte membrane n-6:n-3 PUFAs ratio (P for trend=0.019) after adjusting for sex, age and total PUFA percentage. In the follow-up study, 171 subjects were categorized into quartiles by the changes of n-6:n-3 ratio in erythrocyte membrane (Δ=month 12-month 0). In the top quartile whose ratios of n-6:n-3 increased by an average of 1.25 during the follow-up, the LDL-c-lowering extent was 3.3 times of that in the lowest quartile whose ratios of n-6:n-3 decreased by an average of 1.13 (-1.07 mmol/L v.s. -0.32 mmol/L). The hsCRP decreased by 0.11 mg/dL in the lowest quartile while increasing by 0.10 mg/dL in the top quartile (P for difference=0.052).

CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that the balance between n-6 and n-3 fatty acids may optimize the cardiovascular benefits from dietary PUFAs.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 171 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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