Serum palmitoleate acts as a lipokine in subjects at high cardiometabolic risk

Abstract Background and aim Clinical data on the role as a lipokine of de novo lipogenesis-derived palmitoleic acid (C16:1n-7 cis ) in serum non-esterified fatty acids (palmitoleate) are scarce. We aimed to assess whether palmitoleate relates to cardiometabolic risk. Methods and results In this cross-sectional study we included 358 individuals aged 30–65-years at high cardiovascular risk. We tested the association of palmitoleate (determined by gas chromatography) with metabolic syndrome (MS) and its components (defined by ATPIII criteria), fatty liver index (a surrogate of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD]), and subclinical atherosclerosis (determined as ultrasound-measured carotid intima-media thickness and arterial stiffness). Palmitoleate concentration was higher in women compared with men (median ± range interquartile, 1.36 ± 0.96 vs. 0.97 ± 0.77 μmol/L respectively, P