RESUMO
BACKGROUND: n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) reduce the risk of ischemic heart disease. However, there are few reports of a relationship between n-3 PUFAs and coronary spastic angina (CSA). This study aimed to assess the age-dependent role of serum levels of fatty acid in patients with CSA. METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled 406 patients who underwent ergonovine tolerance test (ETT) during coronary angiography for evaluation of CSA. All ETT-positive subjects were diagnosed as having CSA. We categorized the patients by age and results of ETT as follows: (1) young (ageâ¯≤â¯65â¯years) CSA-positive (nâ¯=â¯32), (2) young CSA-negative (nâ¯=â¯134), (3) elderly (ageâ¯>â¯66â¯years) CSA-positive (nâ¯=â¯36), and (4) elderly CSA-negative (nâ¯=â¯204) groups. We evaluated the serum levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), arachidonic acid, and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid. In the young groups, the serum levels of EPA (64.3⯱â¯37.7⯵g/mL vs. 49.4⯱â¯28.8⯵g/mL, pâ¯=â¯0.015) and DHA (135.7⯱â¯47.6⯵g/mL vs. 117.4⯱â¯37.6⯵g/mL, pâ¯=â¯0.020) were significantly higher in the CSA-positive group than in the CSA-negative group, respectively. However, this was not the case with elderly groups. In the multivariate analysis in young groups, the serum levels of EPA (pâ¯=â¯0.028) and DHA (pâ¯=â¯0.049) were independently associated with the presence of CSA, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that the higher serum levels of EPA and/or DHA might be involved in the pathophysiology of CSA in the young population but not in the elderly population.