Relationship between the type of lipid intake and endotelial function in respiratory failure patients

Introduction: Respiratory function is greatly related to lipid metabolism and production of vasoactive substances and prostaglandins that can be synthesized from certain fatty acids which along with catecholamines are substrates able to injure the endothelium vessels when there´s an excessive production or are not consumed. Objective: To describe the relationship between dietary lipids and endothelial dysfunction (ED) in patients with respiratory failure (RF). Methods: Cross-sectional study in patients with RF (n = 27) from the Heart and Respiratory Failure Clinic at Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias “Ismael Cosio Villegas”. Endothelial function was evaluated through Photoplethysmography, ED was diagnosed from the pulse wave with a maximum amplitud time/total time (MAT / TT) index greater than 30. Results: The mean age of the population was 70 years, and no significant differences in comorbidities were found between the groups with and without ED. Patients with DE had a significant lower linoleic acid intake compared to subjects without ED (8.12 [6.20-10.63] vs 8.77 [4.05-11.75], p = 0.003), the same pattern was observed with Omega 3 fatty acids (1.03 [0.55- 1.43] vs 1.64 [1.20-2.23], p = 0.092) and linolenic acid (0.98 [0.49-1.42] vs 1.62 [1.17-2.23], p = 0.070), although this last results only had a significant tendency. Conclusion: Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid from the omega 6 series and its consumption could benefit the endothelial function in RF patients.