Conclusions/interpretation
A high lipophilic index, reflecting lower membrane fluidity, may be associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Our data corroborate the hypothesis that membrane fluidity may be an important mediator that links intake and metabolism of FAs to diabetes risk.
Methods
We applied a nested case-cohort design (n = 1,740, including 362 cases) within the EPIC-Potsdam study, which involves 27,548 middle-aged men and women. Erythrocyte membrane FA proportions were measured at baseline and physician-confirmed incident diabetes was assessed during a mean follow-up of 7.0 years. The lipophilic index was calculated as the sum of the products of the FA proportions with the respective FA melting points.
Results
After multivariable adjustments, including body size measures, there was a positive association between the lipophilic index and diabetes risk (HR comparing top with bottom quartile 1.59 (95% CI 1.08, 2.34), p for trend across quartiles = 0.005). Adjustment for FAs, which are considered established diabetes risk markers, did not substantially attenuate this association. Conclusions/interpretation: A high lipophilic index, reflecting lower membrane fluidity, may be associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Our data corroborate the hypothesis that membrane fluidity may be an important mediator that links intake and metabolism of FAs to diabetes risk.