A Longitudinal Study of the Association of Blood Unsaturated Fatty Acids With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

TL;DR

This study explores how blood fatty acids are linked to PTSD symptoms in trauma patients, finding a connection with omega-6 fatty acids like linoleic acid.

Contribution

This is the first study to examine the association between blood fatty acids and PTSD in patients with general physical trauma.

Findings

Arachidonic acid was associated with PTSD judgment at 1 month after trauma.

Linoleic acid and total omega-6 fatty acids were consistently linked to PTSD symptoms at both 1 and 3 months post-injury.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the association between blood fatty acid fractions and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) judgment in individuals who have experienced physical trauma.

Patients admitted to the emergency department for trauma, excluding those with brain damage or serious psychiatric disorders, were enrolled. Blood samples were collected on admission, and PTSD symptoms were assessed using a questionnaire 1 and 3 months after the injury. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between fatty acids and Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale severity scores, adjusting for age, sex, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and the use of psychotropic medications.

A significant association was observed between certain fatty acids and PTSD judgment. Mann‐Whitney U test results revealed that arachidonic acid was associated with PTSD judgment at 1 month and palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, eicosenoic acid, and eicosadiene acid with PTSD judgment at 3 months. Multiple regression analysis revealed that stearic acid, linoleic acid, arachidic acid, docosatetraenoic acid, lignoceric acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and total omega‐6 fatty acids (ω6) were associated with PTSD judgment after 1 month after trauma. In contrast, only linoleic acid and total ω6 were associated with PTSD judgment 3 months after trauma.

This study is the first to enroll patients with general physical trauma and examine the relationship between fatty acids and PTSD. The findings suggest a potential relationship between blood fatty acid fractions and the development of PTSD symptoms in individuals who have experienced physical trauma. However, further research is needed to confirm and expand on these findings.

In this study, we analyzed the relationship between blood fatty acid fractions and PTSD in patients who were treated in the emergency room due to physical trauma. The results showed a relationship between the ω6 unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid, and PTSD judgment.

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