Relationship of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) intake to peripheral neuropathy (PN) among adults with diabetes in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2004

Objective: This study investigated the association between dietary intake of PUFAs and PN in the U.S. population. Research Design and Methods: We analyzed data from NHANES 1999-2004 for adults≥ 40 years with diagnosed diabetes, an assessment of PN and reliable 24-hour dietary recall. The dietary intake of PUFAs was analyzed by PN status. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of having PN in higher quintiles of PUFA intake compared with the lowest quintile. Results: The mean dietary intake of linolenic acid was 1.25±0.07g among adults with PN, significantly lower than 1.45±0.02g among those without PN. After controlling for potential confounding variables, adults whose linolenic acid intake in the highest quintile had lower odds of PN compared with the lowest quintile (adjusted odds ratio: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.21-0.77). Conclusions: Among adults with diagnosed diabetes, dietary intake of linolenic acid is positively associated with lower odds of PN.