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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011 Mar 23;65(7):808–817. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2011.39

Table 3.

Associations of BMI with biomarkers of chronic disease risk by EPA and DHA, as percentages of total fatty acids in RBCa

RBC EPAb (% of total fatty acids)
 RBC DHAb (% of total fatty acids)
<1.5 (n = 87) 1.5–3.9 (n = 161) >3.9 (n = 82) Pc <5.8 (n = 84) 5.8 – 8.2 (n = 168) >8.2 (n = 78) Pc
β ± SE P β ± SE P β ± SE P β ± SE P β ± SE P β ± SE P
SBP (mm Hg) 0.3 ± 0.3 0.34 0.5 ± 0.2 0.03 0.6 ± 0.3 0.07 0.83 0.4 ± 0.4 0.29 0.6 ± 0.2 0.01 0.4 ± 0.3 0.19 0.87
DBP (mm Hg) 1.0 ± 0.2 <0.001 0.5 ± 0.1 <0.001 0.8 ± 0.2 <0.001 0.23 0.9 ± 0.2 <0.001 0.6 ± 0.1 <0.001 0.7 ± 0.2 0.001 0.50
Triglyceridesd, e (mg/dl)
    Model 1 0.06 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.04 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.02 ± 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.06 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.04 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.02 ± 0.01 0.01 0.03
    Model 2
        Linear –0.31 ± 0.11 0.005 0.17 ± 0.07 0.01 –0.01 ± 0.09 0.93 <0.001 –0.32 ± 0.12 0.008 0.07 ± 0.07 0.30 0.12 ± 0.09 0.19 <0.001
        Quadratic 0.006 ± 0.002 0.001 –0.002 ± 0.001 0.05 0.0005 ± 0.001 0.75 0.006 ± 0.002 0.002 –0.001 ± 0.001 0.62 –0.002 ± 0.001 0.28
Total cholesterolf (mg/dl) 0.6 ± 1.0 0.50 –0.7 ± 0.7 0.32 –2.1 ± 0.9 0.02 0.12 0.5 ± 1.0 0.63 –0.7 ± 0.7 0.28 –1.8 ± 0.9 0.06 0.26
LDL cholesterolf (mg/dl) –0.2 ± 0.9 0.82 0.1 ± 0.6 0.84 –0.6 ± 0.8 0.48 0.78 –0.2 ± 0.9 0.79 0.1 ± 0.6 0.91 –0.4 ± 0.8 0.60 0.87
HDL cholesterolf (mg/dl) –1.2 ± 0.3 0.001 –1.4 ± 0.2 <0.001 –1.8 ± 0.3 <0.001 0.46 –1.4 ± 0.4 <0.001 –1.4 ± 0.2 <0.001 –1.7 ± 0.3 <0.001 0.78
ApoAl (g/l) –0.02 ± 0.005 <0.001 –0.02 ± 0.003 <0.001 –0.02 ± 0.004 <0.001 0.99 –0.02 ± 0.005 <0.001 –0.02 ± 0.003 <0.001 –0.01 ± 0.005 0.003 0.64
Glucoseg (mg/dl) 0.7 ± 0.2 0.003 0.4 ± 0.2 0.02 1.1 ± 0.2 <0.001 0.03 0.6 ± 0.2 0.01 0.5 ± 0.2 0.005 1.2 ± 0.2 <0.001 0.03
Insulin11 (μU/ml)
    Model 1 0.8 ± 0.1 <0.001 0.6 ± 0.1 <0.001 0.6 ± 0.1 <0.001 0.42 0.8 ± 0.1 <0.001 0.6 ± 0.1 <0.001 0.6 ± 0.1 <0.001 0.47
    Model 2
        Linear –6.5 ± 1.7 <0.001 0.9 ± 1.1 0.41 1.5 ± 1.4 0.30 0.001 –5.5 ± 1.8 0.003 –0.2 ± 1.1 0.88 2.3 ± 1.4 0.11 0.01
        Quadratic 0.12 ± 0.03 <0.001 –0.006 ± 0.019 0.76 –0.01 ± 0.02 0.53 0.11 ± 0.03 0.001 0.01 ± 0.02 0.49 –0.03 ± 0.02 0.25
HOMA-IRd 0.05 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.04 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.05 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.83 0.05 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.04 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.05 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.71
IGF1i (μg/l) –4.9 ± 1.7 0.004 –1.6 ± 1.2 0.18 –2.6 ± 1.6 0.11 0.28 –3.3 ± 1.8 0.07 –2.6 ± 1.2 0.03 –1.4 ± 1.6 0.39 0.72
IGFBP3 (μg/l) CRPd (mg/l) 33.9 ± 21.7 0.12 42.3 ± 15.2 0.006 57.1 ± 20.8 0.006 0.73 47.5 ± 22.8 0.04 45.8 ± 14.8 0.002 39.5 ± 20.9 0.06 0.96
    Model 1 0.08 ± 0.03 0.002 0.05 ± 0.02 0.02 0.05 ± 0.03 0.05 0.49 0.06 ± 0.03 0.02 0.07 ± 0.02 <0.001 0.02 ± 0.03 0.37 0.38
    Model 2
        Linear –0.76 ± 0.33 0.02 0.04 ± 0.20 0.84 0.51 ± 0.27 0.06 0.03 –0.75 ± 0.35 0.03 0.02 ± 0.20 0.93 0.35 ± 0.27 0.20 0.07
        Quadratic 0.01 ± 0.01 0.01 0.0001 ± 0.003 0.98 –0.008 ± 0.004 0.09 0.01 ± 0.01 0.02 0.001 ± 0.003 0.80 –0.005 ± 0.004 0.23
IL6d, ng/l 0.06 ± 0.03 0.06 0.02 ± 0.02 0.31 0.01 ± 0.03 0.82 0.46 0.06 ± 0.03 0.05 0.003 ± 0.02 0.87 0.04 ± 0.03 0.13 0.23
sTNFR2d (ng/l) –0.001 ± 0.015 0.97 0.004 ± 0.01 0.67 0.007 ± 0.014 0.61 0.93 0.001 ± 0.015 0.94 –0.002 ± 0.01 0.86 0.023 ± 0.014 0.10 0.33
Leptind (μg/l) 0.11 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.11 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.08 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.19 0.12 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.11 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.08 ± 0.01 <0.001 0.03
Adiponectin (mg/l) –0.36 ± 0.09 <0.001 –0.45 ± 0.06 <0.001 –0.35 ± 0.09 <0.001 0.59 –0.34 ± 0.10 0.001 –0.39 ± 0.06 <0.001 –0.45 ± 0.09 <0.001 0.71
a

Values are β coefficients ± SE and corresponding P values from linear (Model 1) and quadratic (Model 2) regression models controlling for age (continuous), sex and current smoking status (yes, no). Quadratic models are reported only when statistically significant.

b

Categories are <25th percentile, 25th to 75th percentiles and >75th percentile.

c

P values for interaction are based on the likelihood ratio F-test test comparing linear regression models with and without interaction of BMI (continuous) with RBC EPA and DHA (categorical).

d

Log-transformed values were used for the regression analysis.

e

To convert triglycerides from mg/dl to mmol/l, multiply by 0.0113.

f

To convert cholesterol (total, HDL and LDL) from mg/dl to mmol/l, multiply by 0.0259.

g

To convert glucose from mg/dl to mmol/l, multiply by 0.0555.

h

To convert insulin from μU/ml to pmol/l, multiply by 6.945.

i

Regression model additionally adjusted for IGFBP3.