Fatty acid (FA) status is associated with the risk of several diet-related diseases. Since postmenopausal women are at increased risk of cardiometabolic disturbances, determinants of FA metabolism should be fully understood in this group. We hypothesize that FA metabolism in postmenopausal Polish women may depend on current macronutrient intake and on fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene polymorphism. One-hundred-and-twenty-eight postmenopausal women with central obesity were recruited to the study and their dietary intake, FA composition in red blood cells (RBC), and rs174556, rs174561, rs174547, and rs3834458 polymorphism of the FADS gene were analyzed. Higher levels of 18:2n-6t level in RBC were associated with higher protein or fat intake or with lower carbohydrate intake. The minor allele carriers of rs174561 of the fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) gene had 9.7% lower concentration of 20:4n⁻6 in RBC (p < 0.05), but there were no other associations between other FA in RBC levels and FADS1 or fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2) polymorphisms. The mean D5D value was 15.3⁻17.9% lower in the minor allele carriers of each SNPs. We concluded that protein and carbohydrate intake may be associated with FA concentrations in RBC in centrally obese postmenopausal Polish women. The D5D value may be affected by FADS1 or FADS2 polymorphism.
Keywords: dietary intake; fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene; fatty acids; postmenopausal women.