Lower Serum n-3 Fatty Acid Level in Older Adults with Sarcopenia. Nutrients. 2020 [참여저자]

Il-Young Jang,1,† Hee-Won Jung,1,† Jin Hoon Park,2 Jeoung Hee Kim,2 Seungjoo Lee,2 Eunju Lee,1 Jin Young Lee,3 So Jeong Park,3 Da Ae Kim,3 Su Jung Kim,4 Hyun Ju Yoo,4,* and Beom-Jun Kim5,*

10.3390/nu12102959

Abstract

The n-3 fatty acid (FA) has evoked considerable interest as a modifiable factor for maintenance of muscle health owing to its anti-inflammatory properties. To clarify this possibility, we investigated circulating n-3 FA level, a reliable biomarker of FA status in the body, in relation to sarcopenia in a cohort of Asian older adults. Blood samples were collected from 125 participants who underwent comprehensive assessment of muscle mass and function. Serum FA level was measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using the cut-off points specified for the Asian population. After adjusting for sex, age, and body mass index, subjects with sarcopenia and those with low muscle strength had 36.5% and 32.4% lower serum n-3 levels (P = 0.040 and 0.030), respectively, than controls. The odds ratios per standard deviation increment in serum n-3 level for sarcopenia and low muscle strength were 0.29 and 0.40 (P = 0.015 and 0.028), respectively. A higher serum n-3 level was significantly associated with greater muscle strength (P = 0.038). These findings suggest a possible protective effect of n-3 FA on human muscle homeostasis. Further well-designed large-scale longitudinal studies are necessary to understand the definite role of circulating n-3 FA level in sarcopenia risk assessment.

Keywords: n-3 fatty acid, sarcopenia, anti-inflammation, aging, biomarker

Figure 1

Differences in serum levels of n-3 (A) and n-6 (B) fatty acids according to the status of sarcopenia and related parameters after adjusting for sex, age, and BMI. * indicates a statistically significant difference from control. The estimated mean values with 95% confidence intervals were generated and compared using analysis of covariance. BMI, body mass index.