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Adipose tissue fatty acids in men from two populations with different cardiovascular risk: the LiVicordia study
A Kaminskas1, B Ziedén, B Elving
1Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Insights
Lithuanian men have higher coronary heart disease mortality. Their adipose tissue shows more long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), potentially increasing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Nutritional Science
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality is significantly higher in middle-aged Lithuanian men compared to Swedish men.
- Previous findings indicated lower total and LDL cholesterol in Lithuanian men despite higher fat intake, with increased LDL susceptibility to oxidation.
- Fat quality is a known factor influencing LDL oxidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate long-term dietary fat quality by analyzing adipose tissue fatty acid composition in Lithuanian and Swedish men.
- To explore potential links between fat composition and higher CHD mortality in Lithuanian men.
Main Methods:
- Gas chromatography was used to measure the fatty acid composition of abdominal wall adipose tissue.
- Fifty 50-year-old men from Vilnius, Lithuania, and fifty from Linköping, Sweden, were included in the study.
- Analysis focused on saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).
Main Results:
- Men from Vilnius had a higher percentage of adipose tissue long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including arachidonic acid (20:4n6), EPA (20:5n3), DPA (22:5n3), and DHA (22:6n3).
- Lithuanian men exhibited lower percentages of saturated fatty acids, particularly myristic acid (14:0) (3.4% vs. 4.6%).
- Levels of linoleic acid (18:2n6) and linolenic acid (18:3n3) were similar between the two groups.
Conclusions:
- Adipose tissue essential fatty acid content appears similar, suggesting comparable intake between Lithuanian and Swedish men.
- The higher proportion of long-chain highly unsaturated fatty acids in Lithuanian men may play a role in LDL oxidation.
- These findings contribute to understanding the complex factors underlying differential CHD mortality rates.
Abstract:
The LiVicordia study was set up to investigate possible causes for coronary heart disease mortality in middle-aged Lithuanian men being four times higher than in Swedish men. In a previous part of this study we found lower total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the Lithuanian men in spite of them having a higher fat intake than in the Swedish men. Their LDL was also more susceptible to oxidation in vitro than was that of the Swedish men. Fat quality can influence LDL oxidation. In order to obtain data on long-term fat quality intake we measured the fatty acid composition of abdominal wall adipose tissue by gas chromatography in men aged 50 years from Vilnius, Lithuania (n=50) and Linköping, Sweden (n=50). Men from Vilnius had a significantly higher percentage of adipose tissue long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (20:4n6, 20:5n3, 22:5n5, 22:6n3) and lower percentage of saturated fatty acids, especially myristic acid (14:0), 3.4+/-0.7 versus 4.6+/-0.8, p<0.0001. The percentage content of adipose tissue linoleic acid (18:2n6) was 11.5+/-2.1 versus 11.0+/-1.4 (n.s.) and of linolenic acid (18:3n3) 0.7+/-0.3 versus 0.6+/-0.2 (n.s.) in men from Vilnius and Linköping, respectively. It is concluded that the adipose tissue content of essential fatty acids is similar in men from Vilnius and men from Linköping and therefore the intake is also likely to be similar. The higher contents of long chain highly unsaturated fatty acids in men from Vilnius may be of importance in the oxidation process of LDL.