Cis-vaccenic acid and the Framingham risk score predict chronic kidney disease: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA)

Abstract

Introduction: Data on the associations of fatty acids with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are sparse.

Materials and methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 2792 men and women from the MESA cohort of African-American, Caucasian, Chinese and Hispanic adults without known cardiovascular disease. Plasma phospholipid fatty acid proportions were associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the albumin/creatinine ratio.

Results: Cis-vaccenic acid (18:1n-7), adjusted for other fatty acids using multivariate logistic regression (CI: 1.0-1.4), and step-wise logistic regression (CI: 1.02-1.42), was positively associated with reduced eGFR. The Framingham Risk Score, when adjusting for fatty acid proportions and demographic factors, was positively associated with CKD as measured by the eGFR and the albumin/creatinine ratio.

Discussion and conclusions: Plasma phospholipid proportions of the 18 carbon monounsaturated cis-vaccenic acid {18:1n-7}) and the Framingham Risk Score are associated with kidney function. The potential role of 18:1n-7 in the development of CKD warrants further investigation.