title: Eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid ratio and smoking status in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A low ratio of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/arachidonic acid (AA) is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Smoking is also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease even in an elderly population. This study investigated the relationship between EPA/AA ratio and smoking status among elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 188 elderly patients with T2DM (men/women, 114/74; mean age, 65.0 ± 7.5 years) were studied in terms of their smoking status, diabetic conditions, and blood data, including EPA and AA. Current smokers showed a lower EPA/AA ratio than non-smokers (current smokers: 0.29, n = 49; non-smokers: 0.39, n = 139, p < 0.01). This relationship remained significant after adjusting for multiple variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smoking may affect the EPA/AA ratio among elderly patients with T2DM, suggesting a possible mechanism of cardiovascular disease development and indicating the importance of smoking secession in such patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke-City, Tochigi, 329-0498 Japan.
authors.forename: Kenta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke-City, Tochigi, 329-0498 Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kotani
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tsukuba Institute of Clinical Medicine, 3-2-7 Miya-machi, Mito, Ibaraki, 310-0015 Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yagyu
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke-City, Tochigi, 329-0498 Japan.
authors.forename: Shun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
keywords: Arachidonic acid; Docosahexaenoic acid; Eicosapentaenoic acid; Older people; Smoking