title: Plasma free fatty acid level patterns according to cardiovascular risk status in postmenopausal women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study examines changes in the pattern of plasma free polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) according to menopausal status and the existence of diabetes mellitus (DM) or coronary heart disease (CHD) in Korean women.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants were as follows; premenopausal women (PRE, n=20) and postmenopausal women without any known chronic disease (POST, n=35), with DM (DM, n=35), or with angiographically proven CHD (CHD, n=30). Plasma free fatty acids were measured in all participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Healthy premenopausal women had a higher ratio of omega-3/omega-6 PUFA than postmenopausal women (p=0.001). As expected, the PRE group had higher docsapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels (p<0.05) and lower arachidonic acid levels (p<0.05) than the POST group. In turn, the healthy POST group had higher levels of DPA and DHA compared to the DM or CHD groups (p<0.05). There were significant shifts of increased omega-6 and decreased omega-3 among the women, according to each disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a significant relationship between omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA profiles and risk for CHD in women. This metabolic profile of PUFA might be an important surrogate marker in postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine & Endocrine Research Institute, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yumie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Man-Jeong
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: Kyoung-Rae
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Guk
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Eun Seok
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Bong Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Hyun Chul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung-Kil
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008875:Middle Aged; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D009930:Organic Chemicals; C021593:tsolipk 7b