title: The relationship between n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and pulse wave velocity in diabetic and non-diabetic patients under long-term hemodialysis. A horizontal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetes mellitus (DM) and deficiency in n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFAs) are known to increase the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, it has not yet been reported whether n-3 LCPUFAs are related to arteriosclerosis in patients under long-term hemodialysis (HD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Pulse wave velocity from the brachium to the ankle (baPWV) was measured as a marker of arteriosclerosis with a volume-plethysmographic apparatus in 147 long-term HD patients (non-diabetic (non-DM): 51 males/42 females, 62 +/- 14 y; and DM: 33 males/21 females, 67 +/- 9 y). The fatty acid composition of the total phospholipid fraction from washed RBCs was analyzed by gas chromatography. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, diastolic blood pressure, pulse, body mass index, duration of HD treatment, smoking status, LDL/HDL-cholesterol ratios and diabetes mellitus (DM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean baPWV was 18.9 +/- 5.2 and 23.7 +/- 6.3 m/s in non-DM and DM patients, respectively. The mean baPWV in DM patients was significantly higher than that of non-DM patients after adjustment (p = 0.0002). Multiple regression analysis showed that there was a significant inverse association between baPWV and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels (p = 0.017) and DHA/arachidonic acid (AA) ratios (p = 0.012) in RBC in non-DM patients after adjustment but not in DM patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that n-3 LCPUFAs may be a negative risk factor of CVD also in non-DM HD patients. In DM patients the effects of n-3 PUFAs on the vascular system became undetectable probably because DM overwhelmingly affected PWV. Further studies in a prospective manner are necessary.
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Application, Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Natural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan. keihama@med.u-toyama.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamazaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terashima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itomura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sawazaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamazaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010991:Plethysmography; D011379:Prognosis; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D002784:Cholesterol