title: A comparison of heart rate variability, n-3 PUFA status and lipid mediator profile in age- and BMI-matched middle-aged vegans and omnivores.
abstract: Low heart rate variability (HRV) predicts sudden cardiac death. Long-chain (LC) n-3 PUFA (C20-C22) status is positively associated with HRV. This cross-sectional study investigated whether vegans aged 40-70 years (n 23), whose diets are naturally free from EPA (20 : 5n-3) and DHA (22 : 6n-3), have lower HRV compared with omnivores (n 24). Proportions of LC n-3 PUFA in erythrocyte membranes, plasma fatty acids and concentrations of plasma LC n-3 PUFA-derived lipid mediators were significantly lower in vegans. Day-time interbeat intervals (IBI), adjusted for physical activity, age, BMI and sex, were significantly shorter in vegans compared with omnivores (mean difference -67 ms; 95 % CI -130, -3·4, P50 % and high-frequency power) were similarly lower in vegans, with no differences during sleep. In conclusion, vegans have higher 24 h SDNN, but lower day-time HRV and shorter day-time IBI relative to comparable omnivores. Vegans may have reduced availability of precursor markers for pro-resolving lipid mediators; it remains to be determined whether there is a direct link with impaired cardiac function in populations with low-n-3 status.
authors.affiliation: 1Diabetes & Nutritional Sciences Division,King's College London, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine,Franklin-Wilkins Building,150 Stamford Street,London SE1 9NH,UK.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: 1Diabetes & Nutritional Sciences Division,King's College London, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine,Franklin-Wilkins Building,150 Stamford Street,London SE1 9NH,UK.
authors.forename: Thomas A B
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.affiliation: 2School of Health Sciences,Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health,The University of Manchester,Stopford Building,Oxford Road,Manchester M13 9PT,UK.
authors.forename: Alexandra C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kendall
authors.affiliation: 2School of Health Sciences,Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health,The University of Manchester,Stopford Building,Oxford Road,Manchester M13 9PT,UK.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nicolaou
authors.affiliation: 1Diabetes & Nutritional Sciences Division,King's College London, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine,Franklin-Wilkins Building,150 Stamford Street,London SE1 9NH,UK.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: 1Diabetes & Nutritional Sciences Division,King's College London, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine,Franklin-Wilkins Building,150 Stamford Street,London SE1 9NH,UK.
authors.forename: Haya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Khatib
authors.affiliation: 1Diabetes & Nutritional Sciences Division,King's College London, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine,Franklin-Wilkins Building,150 Stamford Street,London SE1 9NH,UK.
authors.forename: Wendy L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D000066989:Vegans
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D008055:Lipids
keywords: 
                 n-3 PUFA;  %E percentage of energy;  HDHA hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid;  HF high-frequency power;  HR heart rate;  HRV heart rate variability;  IBI interbeat intervals;  LC long chain;  LF low-frequency power;  RMSSD root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent normal-to-normal intervals;  SDANN standard deviation of the average 5-min normal-to-normal intervals;  SDNN standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals;  SPM;  VLF very-low-frequency power;  pNN50 percentage of adjacent normal-to-normal intervals that differ by >50 %;  specialised pro-resolving lipid mediators; CHD; Eicosanoids; Heart rate variability; Inflammation; Lipid mediators; Vegans