title: Fatty acid composition of serum phospholipids in an elderly institutionalized Japanese population.
abstract: The fatty acid composition of serum phospholipids of 277 persons, aged 63-97 y (average 78 y), was measured. Subjects had been living independently in a facility with full food service for 1 y or more. Eleven saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were detected in all the subjects. Stearic acid (18:0) was positively (p = 0.028) and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (20:3 n-6) was negatively (p = 0.012) related to age. Arachidonic acid (20:4 n-6) tended to decline with age (p = 0.063). In addition, the oleic acid (18:1 n-9)/18:0 ratio decreased significantly with age (p = 0.024). 18:0 and total saturated fatty acids were lower, and linoleic acid (18:2 n-6) and 20:4 n-6 and n-6 fatty acids were higher in males than in females. These results suggest deficits in n-6 essential fatty acids as age advances, particularly in females.
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Horrobin
mesh_terms: D015126:8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013229:Stearic Acids / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D013229:Stearic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; C031183:stearic acid; D015126:8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic Acid