Fatty acid imbalances are commonly seen in patients with chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. While there can be many causes of inflammation, the final common mediators of cellular inflammation and cellular invasion are always chemical. These chemotactic mediators include cytokines, leukotrienes, and eicosanoids, whose production is greatly impacted by levels of fatty acids in the body.

Examination of patients with cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis has linked increased severity of lesions with a higher proportion of arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid which shifts production toward more inflammatory prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes.1 In fact, two of these local hormones, prostaglandins E2 and leukotriene B4, are considered the primary mediators of inflammation in arthritis, modulated not only by fatty acid balance but by other factors such as treatment with mud pack therapy or consumption of ginger.2-4

Changes in the Western diet during this century have resulted in increasing consumption of omega-6 oils, including arachidonic acid, with decreasing consumption of omega-3 oils. The net result of this dietary change has been a dramatic imbalance in fatty acid metabolism--causing a shift in production toward more pro-inflammatory eicosanoid hormones. These arachidonic acid metabolites play an integral role in the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis.5

The Essential and Metabolic Fatty Acids Analysis can identify high levels of archidonic acid and other fatty acid imbalances promoting a heightened inflammatory response in arthritis, atherosclerosis, eczema, irritable bowel disease, and many other disorders.

References
1 Lippiello L, Walsh T, Fienhold M. The association of lipid abnormalities with tissue pathology in human osteoarthritic articular cartilage. Metabolism 1991;40(6):571-6.

2 Bellometti S, Cecchettin M, Galzigna L. Mud pack therpay in osteoarthrosis. Changes in levels of chondrocyte markers. Clin Chim Acta 1997;10(268(1-2):101-6.

3 Srivastava KC, Mustafa T. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) in rheumatism and musculoskeletal disorders. Med Hypotheses 1992;39(4):342-8.

4 Bellometti S, Galzigna L. Serum levels of prostaglandin and leukotriene after thermal mud pack therapy. J Invest Med 1998;46(4):140-5.

5 Dijkgraaf LC, de Bont LG, Boering G, Liem RS. The structure, biochemistry, and metabolism of osteoarthritic cartilage: a review of the literature. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1995;53(10):1182-92.

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