Ju-Sheng Zheng1, Jie-Sheng Lin2, Hong-Li Dong2, Fang-Fang Zeng3, Duo Li4, Yiqing Song5, Yu-Ming Chen6. 1. Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: zhengjusheng@westlake.edu.cn. 2. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Medical Statistics & Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China. 3. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Medical Statistics & Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China; Department of Epidemiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People's Republic of China. 4. Institute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China. 5. Department of Epidemiology, Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indianapolis, IN, 46032, USA. 6. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Medical Statistics & Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: chenyum@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS: The association between circulating n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) biomarkers and incident type 2 diabetes in Asian populations remains unclear. We aimed to examine the association of erythrocyte n-3 PUFA with incident type 2 diabetes in a Chinese population. METHODS: A total of 2671 participants, aged 40-75 y, free of type 2 diabetes at baseline, were included in the present analysis. Incident type 2 diabetes cases (n = 213) were ascertained during median follow-up of 5.6 years. Baseline erythrocyte fatty acids were measured by gas chromatography. We used multivariable Cox regression models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of type 2 diabetes across quartiles of erythrocyte n-3 PUFA. RESULTS: After adjustment for potential confounders, HRs (95% CIs) of type 2 diabetes were 0.68 (0.47, 1.00), 0.77 (0.52, 1.15), and 0.63 (0.41, 0.95) in quartiles 2-4 of docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5n-3) (P-trend = 0.07), compared with quartile 1; and 1.08 (0.74, 1.60), 1.03 (0.70, 1.51), and 0.57 (0.38, 0.86) for eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3) (P-trend = 0.007). No association was found for docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3) or alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3). CONCLUSIONS: Erythrocyte n-3 PUFA from marine sources (C22:5n-3 and C20:5n-3), as biomarkers of dietary marine n-3 PUFA, were inversely associated with incident type 2 diabetes in this Chinese population. Future prospective investigations in other Asian populations are necessary to confirm our findings.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: The association between circulating n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) biomarkers and incident type 2 diabetes in Asian populations remains unclear. We aimed to examine the association of erythrocyte n-3 PUFA with incident type 2 diabetes in a Chinese population. METHODS: A total of 2671 participants, aged 40-75 y, free of type 2 diabetes at baseline, were included in the present analysis. Incident type 2 diabetes cases (n = 213) were ascertained during median follow-up of 5.6 years. Baseline erythrocyte fatty acids were measured by gas chromatography. We used multivariable Cox regression models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of type 2 diabetes across quartiles of erythrocyte n-3 PUFA. RESULTS: After adjustment for potential confounders, HRs (95% CIs) of type 2 diabetes were 0.68 (0.47, 1.00), 0.77 (0.52, 1.15), and 0.63 (0.41, 0.95) in quartiles 2-4 of docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5n-3) (P-trend = 0.07), compared with quartile 1; and 1.08 (0.74, 1.60), 1.03 (0.70, 1.51), and 0.57 (0.38, 0.86) for eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3) (P-trend = 0.007). No association was found for docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3) or alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3). CONCLUSIONS: Erythrocyte n-3 PUFA from marine sources (C22:5n-3 and C20:5n-3), as biomarkers of dietary marine n-3 PUFA, were inversely associated with incident type 2 diabetes in this Chinese population. Future prospective investigations in other Asian populations are necessary to confirm our findings.