title: Adipose tissue α-linolenic acid is inversely associated with insulin resistance in adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is emerging evidence of the beneficial effects of n-3 (ω-3) fatty acids (FAs) on cardiometabolic risk factors. Nevertheless, not much is known about the association between adipose tissue α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and insulin resistance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We determined the association between adipose tissue n-3 FAs (total n-3 FAs, ALA, and EPA plus DHA) and insulin resistance in healthy adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, multivariable analyses were used to assess the association between adipose tissue FAs (ALA, EPA plus DHA, and total n-3 FAs) and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in a subset of adult participants (n= 716; mean age: 58 y) from the Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2) cohort.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the lowest tertile, the third tertile (β = -0.13; 95% CI: -0.24, -0.01) of adipose tissue ALA was inversely associated with the HOMA-IR. When stratified by waist circumference, ALA continued to be inversely associated [third tertile: β = -0.17 (95% CI: -0.31, -0.02)] with the HOMA-IR in subjects with a waist circumference ≤88 cm in women or ≤102 cm in men but not in those with a larger waist circumference. No significant association was noted between adipose tissue EPA plus DHA and HOMA-IR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher adipose tissue ALA was inversely associated with insulin resistance in this cohort of healthy adult men and women. This finding appears to be more pronounced in individuals with a normal waist circumference.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyle and Disease Prevention, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA cheskey@llu.edu.
authors.forename: Celine E
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3972-5194
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Heskey
authors.affiliation: Center for Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyle and Disease Prevention, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7182-3475
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jaceldo-Siegl
authors.affiliation: Center for Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyle and Disease Prevention, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sabaté
authors.affiliation: Center for Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyle and Disease Prevention, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5577-3524
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.affiliation: Center for Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyle and Disease Prevention, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA.
authors.forename: Sujatha
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6367-4406
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajaram
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid
keywords: adiposity; biomarker; insulin resistance; n–3 fatty acids; waist circumference