FADS2
Sandeep Grover The FADS2 gene and its chromosomal neighbour FADS1 encode fatty acid desaturases, which play key roles in the biosynthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as Omega-3. 1 Reduced activity of these genes places a stronger requirement on providing Omega-3.
| rsID Number | Major Allele | Minor Allele | Minor Allele Frequency (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| rs1535 | a | g | 30 |
Risk Description
Comparing fatty acid composition in the blood of patients recovering from a heart attack showed that this common, non-coding SNP in the vicinity of FADS1 and FADS2 genes has a profound effect on fatty acid desaturation, with the G allele associated with reduced desaturase activity. 2 Consistent with this deficiency, the recovery of heart attack patients that carried the G allele was aided by high-dose Omega-3 supplementation, while this effect was not observed in the patients homozygous for the major AA allele. 2
This effect was significant and highly plausible given the known function of the FADS1/2 genes. However, this result is based on a post-hoc analysis focusing on this SNP alone and was not yet replicated in an independent cohort. Furthermore, it remains to be confirmed that this result obtained in the setting of high-dose Omega-3 treatment and heart attack recovery can be generalised to generally healthy people and lower-dose Omega-3 supplementation with fish oil. Therefore, some caution is required for interpreting these results.
Indirect Nutrients:*
| Ingredient | Active Ingredient | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Fish Oil | Omega-3 |
Based on a study assessing the effects of high-dose Omega-3 supplementation on heart attack recovery stratified by rs1535, fish oil may be particularly beneficial for people with the GG and AG genotypes. |
Discuss this information with your doctor before taking any course of action.
Citations:
- Schaeffer L, et al. Common genetic variants of the FADS1 FADS2 gene cluster and their reconstructed haplotypes are associated with the fatty acid composition in phospholipids. Hum Mol Genet. 2006 Jun 1;15(11):1745-56. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddl117.
- Kwong RY, et al. Genetic profiling of fatty acid desaturase polymorphisms identifies patients who may benefit from high-dose omega-3 fatty acids in cardiac remodeling after acute myocardial infarction-Post-hoc analysis from the OMEGA-REMODEL randomized controlled trial. PLoS O