Acute rise of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids during hemodialysis treatment.
OBJECTIVE
Hemodialysis patients have an extremely high rate of cardiac arrhythmia-induced sudden cardiac death, although the risk during the hemodialysis procedure is relatively low. A higher blood content of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is believed to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death. We performed this study to measure the effect of a single-standard hemodialysis treatment on plasma and erythrocyte omega-3 PUFA levels in chronic hemodialysis patients.


METHODS
This was a prospective, observational study.


METHODS
The study was performed in one outpatient hemodialysis unit.


METHODS
Study subjects were all chronic, stable hemodialysis patients.


METHODS
There were no interventions.


METHODS
Plasma and erythrocyte fatty-acid levels were measured before and immediately after a hemodialysis session.


RESULTS
Plasma levels of long-chain PUFAs, including the omega-3 fatty acids of interest, all rose, whereas those of shorter-chain or more saturated fatty acids either remained unchanged or fell. A similar trend was seen in erythrocytes, though the results did not reach statistical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
The hemodialysis procedure induces acute increases of long-chain omega-3 PUFAs in the blood. This effect may help explain why malignant cardiac arrhythmias occur relatively infrequently during hemodialysis.
Friedman
Allon N
AN
Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. allfried@iupui.edu
Siddiqui
Rafat
R
Watkins
Bruce A
BA
D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D010045:Outpatients; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3