Table 2.

Distribution of serum fatty acids (%)

	Total (n=915)	Caucasian men (n=304)	Japanese men (n=313)	Japanese- American men (n=298)
Polyunsaturated fatty acids	45.4	45.6*	44.3†	46.5
Total n-6 fatty acids	39.0	41.3*	34.7†	41.1
Linoleic acid	28.8	29.9*	26.5†	30.0
Arachidonic acid	8.1	9.0*	6.6†	8.9
Total n-3 fatty acids	6.5	4.2*	9.6†	5.4‡
Marine n-3 fatty acids	6.0	3.8*	9.3†	4.9‡
α-linolenic fatty acids	0.3	0.3*	0.2†	0.4‡
Monounsaturated fatty acids	20.4	20.3*	21.2†	19.6
Saturated fatty acids	31.2	30.9*	31.7†	30.9
Trans fatty acids	0.8	1.0*	0.6†	0.9‡

Total n-6 fatty acids indicate the sum of linoleic acid (18:2n-6), gamma-linoleic acid (18:3n-6), dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (20:3n-6) and arachidonic acid (20:4n-6).

Marine-derived n-3 fatty acids were defined as eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3), docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3).

Total n-3 fatty acids indicate marine-derived n-3 fatty acids, eicosatetraenoic acid (20:4n-3) and α-linolenic acid (22:18n-3).

Saturated fatty acids indicate the sum of myristic aicd (14:0), palmitic acid (16:0) and stearic acid (18:0).

Monounsaturated fatty acids indicate the sum of palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7), oleic acid (18:1n-9), and cis-vaccenic acid (18:1n-7).

Trans fatty acids indicate the sum of palmitelaidic acid (16n-7:1t), trans 9-octadecanoic acid (18n-9:1t) and linolelaidic acid (18n-6:2tt).

Significance test was based on ANOVA followed by Bonferroni test if the overall ANOVA was significant.

^*Under Bonferroni test, significant difference between Caucasian and Japanese men, p<0.01

^†Under Bonferroni test, significant difference between Japanese and Japanese-American men, p<0.01

^‡Under Bonferroni test, significant difference between Caucasian and Japanese-American men, p<0.01