Inverse association between serum phospholipid oleic acid and insulin resistance in subjects with primary dyslipidaemia

Background & aims

Data on intake of oleic acid (OA) and insulin resistance (IR) are inconsistent. We investigated whether OA in serum phosphatidylcholine relates to surrogate measures of IR in dyslipidaemic subjects from a Mediterranean population.

Methods

Cross-sectional study of 361 non-diabetic subjects (205 men, 156 women; mean age 44 and 46 y, respectively; BMI 25.7 kg/m²). IR was diagnosed by BMI and HOMA values using published criteria validated against the euglycemic clamp. Alternatively, IR was defined by the 75th percentile of HOMA-IR of our study population. The fatty acid composition of serum phosphatidylcholine was determined by gas-chromatography.

Results

The mean (±SD) proportion of OA was 11.7 ± 2.0%. Ninety-two subjects (25.5%) had IR. By adjusted logistic regression, including the proportions of other fatty acids known to relate to IR, the odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence intervals) for IR were 0.75 (0.62–0.92) for 1% increase in OA and 0.84 (0.71–0.99) for 1% increase in linoleic acid. Other fatty acids were unrelated to IR. When using the alternate definition of IR, OA remained a significant predictor (0.80 0.65–0.99]).

Conclusions

Higher phospholipid proportions of OA relate to less IR, suggesting an added benefit of increasing olive oil intake within the Mediterranean diet.