Clinical aspects of essential fatty acid metabolism: Jonathan Rhoads Lecture.

The clinical implications of the metabolism of the 2 essential fatty acids, linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid, are most clearly related to the membrane phospholipid concentrations of their elongation and desaturation products, arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acid. Levels of these very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids can be altered by diet, prematurity, and disease which can affect growth (nutritional repletion) and the intensity and character of systemic inflammation as well as cognitive and visual function in infants.