Alternative Health Blog

In a study involving 51 end-stage renal disease patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), with at least 6 months under dialysis, between the ages of 20 and 75 years (mean: 47.8 years), and 45 healthy controls, plasma omega-3 fatty acids, DHA, arachidonic acid, 14-eicosedienoic acid, linolenic acid, and linoleic acid were significantly lower, while plasma 10-cis-pentadecanoic acid, 10-cis-heptadecanoic acid, heneicosanoic acid, tricosanoic acid, nervonic acid, saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, and delta 9 desaturase activity were significantly higher in CAPD patients, as compared to healthy controls. The authors state, "Our results show that there are FA abnormalities and especially a depletion in essential FA levels and a high level of omega-6/omega-3 ratio in CAPD patients, the underlying mechanism of which is not known and needs to be investigated. Therefore, we believe that essential FA supplementation should be encouraged for CA PD patients."