title: Altered serum mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in adults with ADHD.
abstract: Other than in children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the connection between ADHD and lipids has not been sufficiently investigated so far in adults. Blood serum lipoproteins and fatty acids (FA) composition were measured and analyzed by colorimetry and gaschromatography in eight male and seven female adults diagnosed with ADHD as well as in 15 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects. In ADHD patients, polyunsaturated FAs [docosahexaenoic, arachidonic and dihomogammalinolenic acid (p = 0.048; 0.003; 0.012)] showed lower concentrations, while monounsaturated acids (palmitoleic and oleic acid) as well as total and LDL cholesterol showed higher concentrations (p = 0.011; 0.005). ADHD scores positively correlated with palmitoleic (R = -0.56; p = 0.032), stearic (R = 0.53; p = 0.044), eicosapentaenoic (R = 0.62; p = 0.014), docosahexaenoic (R = 0.51; p = 0.050), gammalinolenic (R = 0.62; p = 0.018) and alphalinolenic acid (R = 0.56; p = 0.031) concentration. Even though the total and LDL cholesterol concentrations in blood serum were significantly higher among the ADHD patients than in controls, none of the ADHD symptom scores were significantly associated with any of the lipoproteine measures. We could demonstrate that a lack of polyunsaturated FAs in blood serum of subjects with ADHD persists into adulthood. Furthermore, we could show that adult ADHD symptomatology positively correlates with elevated levels of saturated stearic and monounsaturated FAs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotheraphy, University of Rostock, Gehlsheimer Str.20, 18147 Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Irmisch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thome
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sheldrick
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wandschneider
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000097:blood*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008074:Lipoproteins