Associations of erythrocyte fatty acids in the de novo lipogenesis pathway with risk of metabolic syndrome in a cohort study of middle-aged and older Chinese

Background: Experimental studies suggest that elevated de novo lipogenesis (DNL) might be involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders. Few prospective studies have been conducted, especially among populations with a high carbohydrate intake, to determine whether DNL fatty acids are associated with the risk of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Objective: We aimed to investigate associations of erythrocyte fatty acids in the DNL pathway-including myristic acid (14:0), palmitic acid (16:0), palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7), hexadecenoic acid (16:1n-9), stearic acid (18:0), vaccenic acid (18:1n-7), and oleic acid (18: 1n-9)-with the risk of MetS in a Chinese population with an average carbohydrate intake of >60% of energy. Design: A total of 1176 free-living Chinese men and women aged 50-70 y from Beijing and Shanghai were included in our analysis, giving rise to 412 incident MetS cases during 6 y of follow-up. Erythrocyte fatty acids and metabolic traits were measured in these participants. Results: Erythrocyte fatty acids in the DNL pathway were correlated with a high ratio of carbohydrate-to-fat intake, less favorable lipid profiles, and elevated liver enzymes at baseline. In comparison with the lowest quartile, RRs (95% CIs) of MetS in the highest quartile were 1.30 (1.04, 1.62; P-trend = 0.007) for 16:1n-7, 1.48 (1.17, 1.86; P-trend < 0.001) for 16:1n-9, 1.26 (1.01, 1.56; P-trend = 0.06) for 18:1n-7, and 1.51 (1.19, 1.92; P-trend < 0.001) for 18:1n-9 after multivariate adjustment for lifestyle factors and body mass index. Moreover, 16:0 and 16:1n-7 were associated with an elevated risk of diabetes. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that fatty acids in the DNL pathway are independently associated with an elevated risk of metabolic disorders.