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Acute rise of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids during hemodialysis treatment.

Friedman AN, Siddiqui R, Watkins BA

Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. allfried@iupui.edu

OBJECTIVE: Hemodialysis patients have an extremely high rate of cardiac arrhythmia-induced sudden cardiac death, although the risk during the hemodialysis procedure is relatively low. A higher blood content of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is believed to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death. We performed this study to measure the effect of a single-standard hemodialysis treatment on plasma and erythrocyte omega-3 PUFA levels in chronic hemodialysis patients. DESIGN: This was a prospective, observational study. SETTING: The study was performed in one outpatient hemodialysis unit. PATIENTS: Study subjects were all chronic, stable hemodialysis patients. INTERVENTIONS: There were no interventions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Plasma and erythrocyte fatty-acid levels were measured before and immediately after a hemodialysis session. RESULTS: Plasma levels of long-chain PUFAs, including the omega-3 fatty acids of interest, all rose, whereas those of shorter-chain or more saturated fatty acids either remained unchanged or fell. A similar trend was seen in erythrocytes, though the results did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The hemodialysis procedure induces acute increases of long-chain omega-3 PUFAs in the blood. This effect may help explain why malignant cardiac arrhythmias occur relatively infrequently during hemodialysis.

Published 15 April 2008 in J Ren Nutr, 18(3): 301-3.
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