Dietary Intake of Eicosapentaenoic and Docosahexaenoic Acid and Diabetic Nephropathy: Cohort Analysis of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between dietary n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs) and the degree and development of albuminuria in type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed longitudinal data from 1,436 participants in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial. We defined the average intake of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid from diet histories. Urinary albumin excretion rates (UAERs) were measured over 24 h; incident albuminuria was considered the first occurrence of an UAER >40 mg/24 h sustained for ≥1 year in normoalbuminuric individuals. RESULTS: In a mean follow-up of 6.5 years, we observed a lower mean UAER (difference 22.7 mg/24 h [95% CI 1.6–43.8)]) in the top versus the bottom third of dietary n-3 LC-PUFAs, but we found no association with incident albuminuria. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary n-3 LC-PUFAs appear inversely associated with the degree but not with the incidence of albuminuria in type 1 diabetes. These findings require further investigation in prospective studies.