The association between fatty acid composition and hypertension and the effects of pharmacotherapeutic approaches: a cross-sectional study

Purpose: The relationship between fatty acids (FAs) and hypertension (HT) is not fully understood, despite evidence of their involvement in HT pathogenesis. Cardiovascular drugs have been shown to alter FA composition, suggesting secondary cardiovascular effects. This study aimed to investigate the association between FA composition and HT, as well as the impact of cardiovascular drugs on FA composition. Materials and methods: The study included HT (n=69) and control (n=66) groups. The FA compositions of erythrocyte cell membranes were analyzed, and the effects of cardiovascular drugs on FA composition were evaluated using binomial logistic regression. Results: Hypertensive patients exhibited higher levels of pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, total saturated fatty acids (SFAs), and total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and lower levels of linoleic acid (LA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and Omega 3 Index compared to controls. Delta-6-desaturase (D6D) and stearoyl-CoA-desaturase (SCD) activities were higher in the HT group. Diuretics reduced oleic acid (OR:0.129; 95%CI:0.021-0.803; p=0.028), total MUFAs (OR:0.098; 95%CI:0.015-0.636; p=0.015), and SCD index (OR:0.129; 95%CI:0.021-0.803; p=0.028), while statins enhanced gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) (OR:18.596; 95%CI:1.041-332.087; p=0.047). Renin-angiotensin system drugs decreased total PUFAs (OR:0.188; 95%CI:0.053-0.663; p=0.009). Conclusions: The findings demonstrate an association between FA composition changes and HT and suggest that cardiovascular drugs can influence FA composition.