An appreciation of the health benefits conferred by polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) consumption is growing, particularly in the field of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy. In this article, Shapiro and colleagues provide a brief overview of the role of PUFAs in nutrition and metabolism, discuss the evidence which suggests that certain PUFAs reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and describe results from studies investigating the effect of specific PUFAs on diabetic nephropathy.
- Haim Shapiro
- Miryam Theilla
- Pierre Singer