Erythrocyte Linoleic Acid Is Associated With Higher Heart Rate Variability and Better Sleep Quality: A Possible Link to Reducing Risk for Cardiometabolic Diseases

OBJECTIVES: Cancer patients often experience poor sleep quality, an aspect of health that accelerates the risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Higher intake of linoleic acid (LA: 18:2n-6) is linked with reduced risk for cardiometabolic diseases. This study has two objectives: To identify whether erythrocyte LA content is associated with sleep quality in women who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer; 2) Measure the association of erythrocyte LA with metabolism and postprandial heart rate variability (HRV). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, erythrocyte LA levels were quantified at the same visit as measurements of body composition, self-reported sleep quality, HRV, postprandial energy metabolism and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO(2peak)) in women (N = 150) newly diagnosed with breast cancer. At a separate visit, cardiometabolic fitness was also measured. RESULTS: Erythrocyte LA was positively associated with higher appendicular lean mass (ALM/BMI) and higher pre-meal heart rate variability. In addition, higher erythrocyte LA was associated with better reported overall sleep quality. Postprandially, women with higher erythrocyte LA had a steeper decline of pulse and a less steep decline of glucose. CONCLUSIONS: The positive relationship between LA with better sleep quality and higher heart rate variability supports the need to test whether fortifying the diet with LA-rich oils lowers cardiometabolic risk in cancer patients involving the autonomic nervous system. FUNDING SOURCES: Funding was provided by the National Cattleman's Beef Association (MAB), NIH (JKG) CA186720, Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center (MAB) and the Carol S. Kennedy Professorship (MAB).