Eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid ratio and weight loss during hospitalization for glycemic control among overweight Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: a retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to examine the relationship between levels of serum eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), arachidonic acid (AA), as well as EPA/AA ratio and weight loss during hospitalization in participants considered to be overweight, with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: The study participants included 142 patients who were hospitalized for treatment of type 2 diabetes. We divided the participants into two groups depending on the achievenemt in reduction of bodyweight 3% or more during hospitalization and examined the relationship between serum levels of EPA and AA, as well as ratio of EPA/AA on admission and effectiveness of weight loss under strict dietary therapy during hospitalization, using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: After adjustment was made for several confounders, the hazard ratio of effective weight loss for logarithmical serum EPA was 1.59 (95% CI 1.02–2.49, P = 0.04) and for logarithmical EPA/AA ratio 1.64 (1.03–2.61, P = 0.04), whereas the hazard ratio for effective weight loss for logarithmical serum AA was 1.11 (0.45–2.78, P = 0.82). In addition, after dividing EPA/AA ratio and serum EPA into quartiles based on participant number, the hazard ratio for the highest quartile of EPA/AA ratio was 2.33 (1.14–4.77, P = 0.02), and for the highest quartile of serum EPA 1.60 (0.80–3.19, P = 0.18) compared with the lowest quartile. CONCLUSION: These results suggest the possibility that EPA is involved in bodyweight change under a caloric-restriction regimen. In addition, EPA/AA ratio was found to be a better predictor of medical intervention for weight loss among overweight patients with type 2 diabetes, compared with serum EPA level.