Low Serum Levels of EPA are Associated with the Size and Growth Rate of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.
OBJECTIVE
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been reported to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, whether omega-3 PUFAs are involved in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) remains unclear.


METHODS
We analyzed 67 consecutive patients admitted for the elective surgical repair of AAA. We investigated the association of serum EPA and DHA levels as well as the EPA/AA ratio with the size of AAA assessed using three-dimensional reconstructed computed tomography images.


RESULTS
Mean patient age was 70±9 years and 60 patients were male. Serum EPA and DHA levels were 75.2±35.7 μg/mL and 146.1±48.5 μg/mL, respectively. EPA/AA ratio was 0.44±0.22, which was lower than those in healthy Japanese subject and equivalent to those in Japanese patients with coronary artery disease as previously reported. Mean of the maximum AAA diameter was 56.4±8.9 mm, and serum EPA levels and EPA/AA ratio negatively correlated with it (r=-0.32 and r=-0.32, respectively). Multiple liner regression analysis showed that EPA levels were significant independent factor contributing to the maximum AAA diameter. Furthermore, low serum EPA levels and low EPA/AA ratio were significantly associated with the growth rate of AAA diameter (r=-0.43 and r=-0.33, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
EPA levels in patients with AAA were relatively low. Low serum EPA levels and EPA/AA ratio were associated with the size and growth rate of AAA.
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Tatsuro
T
Aikawa
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Tetsuro
T
Miyazaki
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Kazunori
K
Shimada
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Yurina
Y
Sugita
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Megumi
M
Shimizu
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Shohei
S
Ouchi
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Tomoyasu
T
Kadoguchi
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Yasutaka
Y
Yokoyama
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Tomoyuki
T
Shiozawa
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Masaru
M
Hiki
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Shuhei
S
Takahashi
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Hamad
H
Al Shahi
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Shizuyuki
S
Dohi
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Atsushi
A
Amano
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Hiroyuki
H
Daida
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid
Atherosclerosis; Coronary artery disease; Inflammation; Polyunsaturated fatty acids