Erythrocyte Levels of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and the Risk of Frailty: The Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Inflammation is a major risk factor for frailty, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are well known as an anti-inflammatory agent. The purpose of present study was to investigate the hypothesis that the higher erythrocyte levels of long-chain n-3 PUFA were associated with lower odds of frailty and frailty criterion in community-dwelling older people. Methods Cross-sectional analysis from the data of the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study, a total of 1435 older people aged 70–84 years were included in the analysis. Sex- and age-stratified community residents, drawn in urban and rural regions nationwide, were eligible for participation in the study. All participants were categorized as frail and non-frail according to the Cardiovascular Health Study index, and analyzed for erythrocyte fatty acid composition by gas chromatography. The erythrocyte levels of PUFA were expressed as a % of total erythrocyte PUFAs. Results After adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of frailty was negatively associated with the erythrocyte levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and Omega-3 Index, but positively associated with erythrocyte levels of arachidonic acid/EPA ratio. Consistently, the frailty score was negatively correlated with erythrocyte levels of EPA, DHA, and Omega-3 Index, but positively correlated with erythrocyte levels of arachidonic acid/EPA ratio. In addition, for each frailty criterion, the risk of slow walking speed, low handgrip strength, exhaustion, and low physical activity were negatively associated with erythrocyte levels of n-3 PUFA. Conclusions The present study showed that the risk of frailty and frailty criteria were significantly associated with lower erythrocyte levels of long-chain n-3 PUFAs, suggesting that lower erythrocyte levels of long-chain n-3 PUFAs could be a marker for the risk of frailty. Funding Sources This research was supported by a grant of the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korean Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant No. HI15C3153), and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea grant funded by the Korea government (NRF-2018R1A2B6002486).