Serum fatty acid distributions in postmenopausal women

Abstract

Serum fatty acids had been studied for more than 30 years. In the investigations of the relation with the risks of coronary heart disease, fatty acids were examined in either serum total lipids or in one or two lipid fractions, the results were not conclusive. The purpose of this study was to report serum fatty acid compositions in total lipids (TL) and in lipid fractions: cholesterol esters (CE), phospholipids (PL), and triglycerides (TG). One hundred and four postmenopausal women who were living in Allegheny Country, Pennsylvania, USA and not taking hormone replacement therapy at the time of their first year clinic visit after cessation of menses were selected to be studied. Fifteen fatty acids in TL, CE, PL, and TG were measured and identified by capillary gas chromatography. A aliquot control serum was measured repeatedly for assessment of quality control. The coefficient of variation for common fatty acids was 8.2% for stearic acid in TL, 12.4% for palmitic acid in PL, 9.1% for oleic acid in CE, and 4.5% for palmitic acid in TG. We report results from both quantitative (mg/dl) and qualitative (mole %) analyses. The weight of fasting serum total fatty acids were 366.6 mg/dl in TL, 80.6 mg/dl in CE, 107.8 mg/dl in PL, and 56.9 mg/dl in TG. The p/s ratios of serum fatty acids were 1.33, 3.57, 0.64, and 0.51 in TL, CE, PL, and TG, respectively. Fatty acid distributions from both quantitative and qualitative measurements are to be evaluated for the relation with coronary heart disease.