The Relationship between Circulating Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Levels and Exercise Responses of Patients with Non-ischemic Heart Failure

OBJECTIVE: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are associated with heart failure (HF) as well as coronary artery disease. However, little is known about the relationships between PUFAs and the exercise responses of patients with HF. We evaluated the relationships between PUFAs and the parameters of cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) in patients with non-ischemic HF. METHODS: Fifty patients with stable non-ischemic HF underwent CPETs at our hospital. Data were analyzed to evaluate the relationships between PUFAs and echocardiographic findings as well as CPET and other test parameters. RESULTS: Correlations were significant and negative between dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA) + arachidonic acid (AA) and minute ventilation versus carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO(2)) slope, and positive between N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and VE/VCO(2) slope. A multivariate regression analysis selected DGLA+AA and AA as independent predictors of VE/VCO(2) slope. However, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were not significantly correlated with the CPET parameters. CONCLUSION: Low levels of circulating DGLA+AA and AA among PUFAs were associated with decreased exercise responses in patients with stable non-ischemic HF. These findings suggest that high levels of omega-6 PUFAs may improve the clinical outcomes of patients with non-ischemic HF via their effects on exercise responses.