Highlights
- •Inuit had a low occurrence of ischemic heart disease and a high intake of n-3 fatty acids.
- •n-3 fatty acid consumption has been linked to inflammation that predicts vascular risk.
- •The inflammatory biomarkers YKL-40 and hsCRP were higher in Inuit compared to non-Inuit.
- •YKL-40 and hsCRP increased with higher intakes of traditional Inuit diet.
- •Markers of inflammation may reflect the disease rather than the cause of the disease.
Abstract
Background
Chronic low-grade inflammation is involved in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis
and ischemic heart disease. This was rare in pre-western Inuit who lived on a diet
that consisted mainly of marine mammals rich in n-3 fatty acids.
Objectives
To assess the association between biomarkers of inflammation and the intake of traditional
Inuit diet in addition to Inuit ethnicity.
Methods
YKL-40 and hsCRP were measured in serum from 535 Inuit and non-Inuit living in the
capital city Nuuk in West Greenland or in the main town or a settlement in rural East
Greenland. Dietary habits were assessed by an interview-based food frequency questionnaire.
Results
The participation rate was 95%. YKL-40 was higher in Inuit than in non-Inuit (p < 0.001), in Inuit with a higher intake of traditional Inuit diet (p < 0.001), and in Inuit from rural compared to urban areas (p < 0.001). It also rose with age (p < 0.001), alcohol intake (0.019) and smoking (p < 0.001). Inuit had higher hsCRP compared to non-Inuit (p = 0.003) and hsCRP increased in parallel with intake of traditional Inuit foods (p < 0.001). Alcohol associated with a decrease in hsCRP in Inuit (p = 0.004). YKL-40 and hsCRP increased with higher intakes of traditional Inuit diet
after adjusting for ethnicity, gender, age, smoking, alcohol intake and BMI.
Conclusions
Biomarkers of inflammation vary in parallel with the intake of traditional Inuit diet.
A diet based on marine mammals from the Arctic does not reduce inflammatory activity
and it may be speculated that markers of inflammation reflect the disease rather than
the cause of the disease.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 15, 2013
Accepted:
March 19,
2013
Received in revised form:
March 16,
2013
Received:
December 11,
2012
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
