Dietary intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and diabetic nephropathy – cohort analysis of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT)
- Cheetin C Lee, MPhil1,
- Stephen J Sharp, MSc1,
- Deborah J Wexler, MD2 and
- Amanda I Adler, MD PhD (amanda.adler{at}addenbrookes.nhs.uk)1,3
Abstract
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.
Methods: We analyzed longitudinal data from 1,436 participants in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial. We defined average intake of eicosapentaenoic- and docosahexaenoic acid from diet histories. Urinary albumin excretion rates (UAER) were measured over 24 hours; incident albuminuria was considered the first occurrence of an UAER >40 mg/24 hr sustained for ≥1 year in normo-albuminuric individuals.
Results: In a mean follow-up of 6.5 years, we observed a lower mean UAER [difference 22.7 mg/24 hr (95% CI 1.6, 43.8)] in the top vs. bottom third of dietary n-3 LC-PUFAs, but 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.
Footnotes
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- Received December 9, 2009.
- Accepted March 24, 2010.
- Copyright © American Diabetes Association
