Abstract 318: Determinants of Red Blood Cell Omega-3-Fatty Acid Content in Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease

Objectives: Despite available medical therapies, patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) remain at high risk for cardiovascular events. n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), derived from marine sources, have been shown to improve cardiovascular mortality. The omega-3 index (O3I), a proportion of the n-3 PUFAs eicosapentanoic acid and docosahexanoic acid in the red blood cell membrane, correlates with cardiovascular risk. We sought to determine the clinical factors associated with the O3I in patients with PAD. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 111 patients, who had an ankle-brachial index of < 0.9 associated with claudication symptoms. We used linear regression to determine the association between demographic and lifestyle factors and the O3I. Results: The mean age of the cohort was 69 ± 8 years, 37% had diabetes mellitus (Hemoglobin A1c: 7 ± 1%), and 94% had smoked. The mean O3I was 5 ± 2%. Table 1 shows the variables associated with O3I in regression analyses. In a multivariate model, an independent association was maintained with increasing age, BMI, and a history of smoking and fish oil intake. Conclusions: In a cohort of patients with PAD, older age, elevated BMI, and prior fish oil supplementation predicted a higher O3I. A history of smoking correlated with a lower O3I. Our findings suggest that targeting nutrition and tobacco use with therapeutic interventions has potential to reduce cardiovascular risk among PAD patients.