Abnormalities of erythrocyte membrane fatty acid composition in human essential hypertension

The fatty acid content of erythrocyte plasma membrane was estimated in cells of 17 untreated hypertensive patients, and compared to that of 16 control subjects matched for age, sex and weight. Mean linoleic acid (18:2) content was significantly lower in hypertensives than controls, whereas arachidonic acid (20:4) and oleic acid (18:1) were significantly higher. These results provide further evidence for an alteration in the physiochemical structure of the plasma membrane in cells of hypertensive patients and may be related to the multiple disturbances in erythrocyte ion fluxes which have been observed.