Associations of erythrocyte fatty acids in the de novo lipogenesis pathway with risk of metabolic syndrome in a cohort study of middle-aged and older Chinese

Abstract

Experimental studies suggest that elevated de novo lipogenesis (DNL) might be involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders. Few prospective studies have been conducted, especially among populations with a high carbohydrate intake, to determine whether DNL fatty acids are associated with the risk of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). We aimed to investigate associations of erythrocyte fatty acids in the DNL pathway-including myristic acid (14:0), palmitic acid (16:0), palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7), hexadecenoic acid (16:1n-9), stearic acid (18:0), vaccenic acid (18:1n-7), and oleic acid (18:1n-9)-with the risk of MetS in a Chinese population with an average carbohydrate intake of >60% of energy. A total of 1176 free-living Chinese men and women aged 50-70 y from Beijing and Shanghai were included in our analysis, giving rise to 412 incident MetS cases during 6 y of follow-up. Erythrocyte fatty acids and metabolic traits were measured in these participants. Erythrocyte fatty acids in the DNL pathway were correlated with a high ratio of carbohydrate-to-fat intake, less favorable lipid profiles, and elevated liver enzymes at baseline. In comparison with the lowest quartile, RRs (95% CIs) of MetS in the highest quartile were 1.30 (1.04, 1.62; P-trend = 0.007) for 16:1n-7, 1.48 (1.17, 1.86; P-trend < 0.001) for 16:1n-9, 1.26 (1.01, 1.56; P-trend = 0.06) for 18:1n-7, and 1.51 (1.19, 1.92; P-trend < 0.001) for 18:1n-9 after multivariate adjustment for lifestyle factors and body mass index. Moreover, 16:0 and 16:1n-7 were associated with an elevated risk of diabetes. Our findings suggest that fatty acids in the DNL pathway are independently associated with an elevated risk of metabolic disorders.