Analysis of fatty acids in early mid-life in fertile women: Implications for reproductive decline and other chronic health problems
August 3rd, 2009 Posted by: admin
The relationship between adipose fatty acid levels and age is examined in 635 Scottish fertile women aged 25-48. Fatty acids levels are highly significantly correlated with age. Factor analysis identifies four factors that account for 79.6% of variance in the data. Three Factors show significant regressions with age and patterns of involvement of specific fatty acids suggest that these Factors represent the activity of fatty acid delta-desaturase enzymes as follows: Factor 1 – delta-9-desaturase, Factor 2 – delta-5-desaturase, and Factor 4 – delta-6-desaturase. Key changes, apparently reductions in enzyme activity, occur through the 30 and 40-year-old age groups. Such changes in enzyme function could account for decline in female fertility and increases in body fat and chronic disease common in early mid-life. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
