Abstract
The relationship between insulin resistance (IR) and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) has not been fully elucidated. In this study, the association of an indicator of IR, HOMA-IR, with food intake or the fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipid (PL) was investigated in 377 healthy Japanese men and women who participated in a health examination. The values of HOMA-IR were inversely associated with the levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) , docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) , and n-3 PUFA in plasma PL (Ptrend= 0.024, 0.013, and 0.031, respectively) . Logistic analysis showed that the odds ratios (95%CI, Ptrend) of high HOMA-IR (HOMA-IR≧2.5) adjusted by sex, age, BMI, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol intake for the fourth (highest) compared with the first quartile of DHA, EPA＋DHA, n-3PUFA, and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid in plasma PL were 0.40 (0.18-0.91, p trend=0.015) , 0.37 (0.16-0.83, p trend=0.021) , 0.42 (0.19-0.92, p trend=0.021) , and 2.61 (1.07-6.41, p trend=0.030) , respectively. These results suggest that low levels of DHA, EPA＋DHA, and n-3PUFA and a high level of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid in plasma PL are associated with IR.
