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The following is a summary of “Plasma levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids and multiple sclerosis susceptibility in a US case-control study,” published in the October 2024 issue of Neurology by Dunlop et al.   

Higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), yet previous studies relied on dietary surveys for estimation.    

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to test associations between plasma levels of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs and the likelihood of MS onset or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS).    

 They recruited participants (n=589) aged ≥18 years and matched control participants (n=630) between 2011 and 2015. Plasma phospholipid fatty acid profiling was performed using gas-liquid chromatography. Logistic regression was used to report ORs, tested for interactions, adjusted for covariates, and corrected for multiple comparisons (P=0.012).    

The results showed a 6% lower probability of MS/CIS per unit increase in total n-6 PUFA level, expressed as a percentage of total plasma phospholipid fatty acids (OR=0.94; 95% CI=0.90, 0.98; P=0.012). No statistically significant association was found between individual or total plasma levels of n-3 PUFAs and the probability of MS/CIS. However, plasma levels of n-3 PUFAs were low across.   

They concluded that higher total n-6 PUFA levels may reduce susceptibility to MS, warranting further research on n-3 PUFAs to identify potential beneficial thresholds.    

Source: msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(24)00496-6/fulltext