P516 - RED BLOOD CELL MEMBRANE FLUIDITY AS A NUTRITIONAL BIOMARKER OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN T2DM: A LONGITUDINAL CROSSOVER TRIAL ON OMEGA-3 SUPPLEMENTATION

P516

RED BLOOD CELL MEMBRANE FLUIDITY AS A NUTRITIONAL BIOMARKER OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN T2DM: A LONGITUDINAL CROSSOVER TRIAL ON OMEGA-3 SUPPLEMENTATION

A. Riente^1,*, D. Hatem¹, C. Serantoni¹, M. M. De Giulio¹, T. Marchetti², M. De Spirito¹, G. Maulucci¹

¹Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, ²Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome, Italy

Rationale: RBC membrane fluidity may serve as an independent marker of residual cardiovascular (CV) risk in type 2 diabetes (T2DM), providing insight beyond lipid profiles. It has been linked to an imbalance in dietary PUFAs, particularly a high omega-6/omega-3 ratio [1], though longitudinal validation is lacking. We investigated whether omega-3 supplementation could modulate RBC fluidity and aid CV risk assessment in T2DM.

Methods: In a randomized crossover trial, 40 T2DM patients (with/without prior CV events) followed high or low omega-3 diets for 12 weeks, with a 4-week washout. RBC membrane fluidity was assessed at baseline (T0), 3 months (T1), and 6 months (T2) using confocal microscopy and Laurdan staining. Generalized Polarization (GP) values quantified membrane order. Data were analyzed with repeated-measures ANOVA.

Results: GP values rose from 0.370 at T0 to 0.440 at T2 (p < 0.01), indicating increased rigidity. At T2, patients without prior CV events had higher GP values than those with CV history (0.460 vs. 0.420, p < 0.05). The rise in GP was more evident after the low omega-3 phase, suggesting omega-3’s role in modulating membrane properties.

Conclusion: RBC membrane fluidity, assessed via GP, is a non-invasive, diet-responsive biomarker reflecting CV history in T2DM. As a potential “lipid HbA1c,” it may support CV risk stratification, personalized nutrition, and monitoring of preventive strategies.

References: [1] Bianchetti, G., Cefalo, C. M. A., Ferreri, C., Sansone, A., Vitale, M., Serantoni, C., ... & Maulucci, G. (2024). Erythrocyte membrane fluidity: A novel biomarker of residual cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 54(3), e14121.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared