title: Plasma levels of marine n-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular risk markers in renal transplant recipients.
abstract: Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the leading cause of death after renal transplantation. Marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exert potential cardio-protective metabolic effects and might reduce CV morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients (RTRs).
  
  
  
  In this cross-sectional study of 1990 Norwegian RTRs, transplanted between 1999 and 2011, associations between plasma phospholipid marine n-3 PUFA levels and various CV risk markers at 10 weeks after transplant were evaluated.
  
  
  
  Higher plasma marine n-3 PUFA levels were associated with lower resting heart rate (rHR), lower fasting plasma glucose (fPG) levels, lower plasma triglyceride levels and higher plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. Plasma levels of eicosapentaenoic acid, but not docosahexaenoic acid, showed a positive association with plasma HDL cholesterol levels. Plasma marine n-3 PUFA levels were not associated with plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, pulse wave velocity or systolic and diastolic blood pressure. A negative association between plasma marine n-3 PUFA levels and CV mortality was weakened by additional adjustment for plasma triglyceride levels and rHR. The ratio of n-6 to n-3 PUFAs showed similar associations with CV risk markers as absolute plasma marine n-3 PUFA levels.
  
  
  
  This is the first study in RTRs showing that marine n-3 PUFAs are negatively associated with rHR and fPG in addition to beneficial effects on plasma HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Especially, effects on autonomic nervous function and triglyceride metabolism might contribute to explain the lower CV mortality risk with higher plasma marine n-3 PUFA levels previously shown in this cohort.
authors.affiliation: Section of Nephrology, Department Transplant Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Eide
authors.affiliation: Section of Nephrology, Department Transplant Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Dahle
authors.affiliation: Department of Renal Medicine, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Svensson
authors.affiliation: Section of Nephrology, Department Transplant Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.|Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: Section of Nephrology, Department Transplant Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.|The Norwegian Renal Registry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.|Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Åsberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.|Department of Medical Biochemistry, St Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Bjerve
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Section of Nephrology, Department Transplant Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lauritsen
authors.affiliation: Section of Nephrology, Department Transplant Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.affiliation: Section of Nephrology, Department Transplant Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.|Metabolic and Renal Research Group, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jenssen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000097:blood; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D017747:Seafood; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D004041:Dietary Fats; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides