The fatty acid pattern of serum triglycerides and FFA in patients with essential hypertension of different stages, athletes, and normal subjects.

The fatty acid pattern of serum triglycerides and FFA in normal untrained subjects, normotensive athletes, patients with labile and stable essential hypertension as well as in hypertensives with overweight and mild hypertriglyceridemia has been evaluated by gas liquid chromatography. The most striking differences revealed the linoleic acid in triglycerides being increased in athletes and in patients with labile hypertension in comparison with normotensive untrained controls and patients with stable hypertension. On the basis of these data an enhanced need of polyunsaturated fatty acids corresponding to probands with high physical activity has been assumed in patients with an early stage of essential hypertension. The differences of arachidonic acid were not so distinct. The results can be relevant with regard to the pathogenetic role of prostaglandin precursors in the development and course of essential hypertension and atherosclerosis.