Endothelial vasodilatory function is related to the proportions of saturated fatty acids and alpha-linolenic acid in young men, but not in women

Background Fatty acid composition of serum lipids is associated with cardiovascular disease. As attenuated endothelium‐dependent vasodilation (EDV) is an early event in atherosclerosis, we investigated the relationships between endothelial vasodilatory function and the proportion of serum fatty acids, reflecting dietary fat quality, in 74 healthy men and women, aged 20–30 years. Design Endothelium‐dependent vasodilation and endothelium‐independent vasodilation (EIDV) was studied in the forearm during local administration of methacholine (2 and 4 µg min−1) and nitroprusside (5 and 10 µg min−1). Forearm blood flow was determined with venous occlusion plethysmography. An endothelial function index was calculated as the EDV/EIDV ratio. Results The endothelial function index was inversely related to the total proportion of saturated fatty acids (r = −0·41, P