Free fatty acids

General Information

Free fatty acid testing is used to assess metabolic status:

• In patients with endocrinopathies (obesity, adiposity, metabolic syndrome)
• In the process of monitoring diabetes mellitus
• To assess the effectiveness of therapeutic methods
• To assess cardiovascular risks

An increase in the concentration of free fatty acids in serum is characterized by:

• Cardiovascular diseases
• Metabolic syndrome
• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus

An increase in free fatty acids is associated with insulin resistance and inflammatory processes in the endothelium (inner lining) of blood vessels.

Material for examination: Venous blood (serum)

Preparation of the patient: The study is performed on an empty stomach (with a 12-14 hour interval from the last meal). Alcohol consumption is prohibited for 24 hours before the material is collected. It is not recommended to conduct the study during heparin treatment.

Patients treated with heparin have a falsely elevated free fatty acid concentration (heparin causes activation of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase, which stimulates the release of free fatty acids from triglycerides and serum lipoproteins).