Serum Fatty Acids Are Associated with a Higher Risk of Ischemic Stroke

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 15; no. 3; p. 585
• Main Authors: Andone, Sebastian, Farczádi, Lénárd, Imre, Silvia, Bajko, Zoltan, Moțățăianu, Anca, Maier, Smaranda, Bărcuțean, Laura, Bălașa, Rodica
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22.01.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Age; Alcohol; arachidonic acid; Atherosclerosis; Atrial Fibrillation - complications; Blood lipids; Blood pressure; Carbon; Cardiac arrhythmia; Diabetes; Disease prevention; docosahexaenoic acid; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Dyslipidemia; Eicosapentaenoic Acid; Enzymes; Fatty Acids; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Female; Females; Fibrillation; Gene expression; Health aspects; Health risks; High performance liquid chromatography; Humans; Hypertension; Ischemia; ischemic stroke; Ischemic Stroke - complications; Ischemic Stroke - etiology; Kidney diseases; Liquid chromatography; Male; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Metabolic disorders; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Public health; Risk factors; Risk management; Sex differences; Smoking; Stroke; Stroke (Disease); Stroke - epidemiology; Stroke - etiology; Romania; arachidonic acid; eicosapentaenoic acid; risk factors; fatty acids; omega-3; docosahexaenoic acid; omega-6; ischemic stroke
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu15030585

Stroke prevention, a significant public-health concern, begins with recognizing and addressing risk factors. Interventions targeted at modifiable risk factors can effectively prevent ischemic stroke, while Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to improve stroke outcomes. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between ischemic-stroke risk factors and fatty acids using a prospective observational study with 274 patients. We collected clinical data on risk factors and measured fatty-acid levels using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. We found that several risk factors, including age, sex, smoking, atrial fibrillation, dyslipidemia, and previous stroke history, had a direct relationship with fatty acids. Of these, smoking had the most significant impact, negatively impacting levels of docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acid. Conversely, dyslipidemia and atrial fibrillation positively correlated with fatty acids, particularly in female patients and those with recurrent strokes. Age was found to directly correlate with other risk factors and variations in fatty-acid ratios. The stroke rate was higher in males than females before the age of 70, but this trend reversed. Our findings suggest that better management of risk factors, particularly modifiable lifestyle factors, could improve fatty-acid profiles and the balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 in patients with ischemic stroke.