title: Comparison of eicosapentaenoic acid concentrations in plasma between patients with ischemic stroke and control subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  ω-3 fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), prevent ischemic stroke. However, the clinical importance of EPA for ischemic stroke and its subtype has not been fully elucidated.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study, we determined whether ω-3 fatty acids were predictive factors for ischemic stroke. We compared common clinical parameters among 65 patients with ischemic stroke and 65 control subjects. The parameters included blood chemistry data; concentrations of EPA, docosahexaenoic acid, and arachidonic acid (AA); EPA/AA ratio; smoking; alcohol intake; fish consumption more than four times per week; and the incidence of underlying diseases. The comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, and multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to the significant factors in the non-parametric test. We also applied the same approach to the ischemic stroke subtypes, cardioembolism and large-artery atherosclerosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the multiple logistic regression analysis after the Mann-Whitney U test, a lower EPA concentration was one of the significant risk factors for ischemic stroke, as were a lower body mass index, lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and smoking (sensitivity 0.846, specificity 0.831, positive predictive value 0.833). In the analysis of subtypes, a lower EPA/AA ratio and a lower body mass index were the significant risk factors for cardioembolism (sensitivity 0.800, specificity 0.733, positive predictive value 0.750). However, large-artery atherosclerosis was not related to the EPA concentration or the EPA/AA ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, the plasma EPA concentration and the EPA/AA ratio were potential predictive risk factors for ischemic stroke, especially for cardioembolism. Further prospective studies are necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshimori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikeya
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukuyama
authors.forename: Waichi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogushi
authors.forename: Hidezo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D004617:Embolism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid