Comparison of Lipid Fatty Acids on a Concentration Basis vs Weight Percentage Basis in Patients with and without Coronary Artery Disease or Diabetes

Lipid fatty acid compositions are almost always expressed on a weight percentage basis rather than as weight or molar concentrations. With the former method of calcula-tion, each fatty acid has an effect on the composition of the other fatty acids, an interdependence that can poten-tially lead to inaccurate and misleading results. Here we compare the concentrations per liter and the weight percentage compositions of cholesteryl ester and phos-pholipid fatty acids in individuals with and without coro-nary artery disease as well as free fatty acid compositions in individuals with and without diabetes. A new method for quantifying lipid fatty acids is also presented. Fatty acid results expressed as concentrations and those calculated on a weight percentage basis may lead to different conclusions, because significant differences between pa