Table 2.

NMR lipidomics according to preclinical carotid atherosclerosis status

	Whole cohort (n = 131)	Presence of carotid plaque		Presence of ≥ 3 plaques
		No (n = 94)	Yes (n = 37)	No (n = 119)	Yes (n = 12)
Triglycerides	0.77 (0.51–1.08)	0.76 (0.51–1.07)	0.78 (0.50–1.43)	0.77 (0.52–1.10)	0.58 (0.40–1.01)
Glycerophospholipids	2.49 (2.30–2.72)	2.51 (2.29–2.69)	2.39 (2.15–2.85)	2.51 (2.27–2.74)	2.21 (2.12–2.57)
Phosphatidylcholine	2.40 (2.17–2.61)	2.41 (2.18–2.59)	2.35 (2.12–2.70)	2.41 (2.18–2.62)	2.26 (2.10–2.50)
Sphingomyelin	0.61 (0.55–0.67)	0.62 (0.56–0.69)	0.57 (0.54–0.66)*	0.62 (0.55–0.68)	0.58 (0.55–0.61)
Lysophosphatidylcholine	0.47 (0.41–0.53)	0.48 (0.41–0.55)	0.45 (0.41–0.51)	0.48 (0.42–0.55)	0.43 (0.40–0.46)
Esterified cholesterol	4.65 (4.38–5.11)	4.65 (4.43–5.09)	4.67 (3.98–5.28)	4.67 (4.43–5.19)	4.38 (3.94–4.70)*
Free cholesterol	2.08 (1.89–2.35)	2.09 (1.94–2.35)	2.08 (1.73–2.28)	2.11 (1.91–2.36)	1.90 (1.67–2.08)**
Linoleic acid	4.14 (3.74–4.59)	4.20 (3.80–4.58)	4.06 (3.59–4.67)	4.20 (3.77–4.61)	3.67 (3.46–4.20)*
Saturated fatty acids	4.77 (4.18–5.51)	4.80 (4.20–5.44)	4.63 (4.12–5.76)	4.80 (4.17–5.51)	4.65 (4.48–5.78)
ω-3 fatty acids	0.24 (0.19–0.30)	0.24 (0.19–0.30)	0.25 (0.19–0.32)	0.25 (0.19–0.30)	0.22 (0.19–0.40)
ω-6 fatty acids	2.73 (2.43–3.34)	2.83 (2.49–3.37)	2.60 (2.28–3.27)	2.82 (2.47–3.35)	2.30 (1.57–2.82)*
ω-7 fatty acids	2.62 (2.27–3.05)	2.63 (2.25–2.98)	2.54 (2.34–3.28)	2.63 (2.25–3.10)	2.53 (2.41–2.80)
ω-9 fatty acids	3.86 (3.09–4.79)	3.79 (3.21–4.55)	4.38 (2.73–5.57)	3.86 (3.17–4.77)	3.40 (2.15–4.83)
DHA	0.088 (0.064–0.118)	0.085 (0.065–0.114)	0.097 (0.060–0.139)	0.088 (0.065–0.114)	0.115 (0.048–0.151)
ARA-EPA	0.61 (0.51–0.82)	0.61 (0.50–0.82)	0.61 (0.51–0.81)	0.61 (0.50–0.82)	0.62 (0.57–0.75)

Data are shown as median (Q1–Q3). Data are presented as mmol/L

ARA arachidonic acid, DHA docosahexaenoic acid, EPA eicosapentaenoic acid

*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01 between groups