Plasma fatty acid patterns derived by principal components analysis and their relationship with cardiovascular risk in a male middle-aged population

Circulating fatty acid levels are also related to metabolic disturbances associated with the metabolic syndrome and CVD, as a result of disturbances in the activity of enzymes that catalyse fatty acid desaturation ([Delta] desaturases)(3). [...] patterns of fatty acids and desaturase activity were determined in plasma and an investigation conducted into how these patterns were related to 10-year CVD risk estimates calculated using the criteria used by the Joint British Societies(4) in a middle-aged male population in the UK.