Arachidonic Acid (AA) Biomarker Testing
It measures arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fat tied to inflammation balance; order through Vitals Vault and test at a nationwide Quest lab.
With Vitals Vault, you have access to a comprehensive range of biomarker tests.
Arachidonic acid (AA) is an omega-6 fatty acid that sits in your cell membranes and can be converted into signaling molecules that influence inflammation, clotting, and immune activity.
An arachidonic acid test tells you how much AA is present in a specific sample type (often plasma/serum or red blood cell membranes), which helps you understand your omega-6 status and how it may relate to symptoms or chronic health goals.
Your number is most useful when you interpret it alongside other fatty acids (especially EPA and DHA, the main omega-3s) and in the context of your diet, medications, and any inflammatory or cardiometabolic conditions you are managing.
Do I need a Arachidonic Acid test?
You might consider an arachidonic acid test if you are trying to make sense of inflammation-related symptoms or conditions and you want a measurable way to track fatty-acid status over time. People often look at AA when they have persistent joint or muscle aches, skin flares, frequent headaches, or they are working on cardiometabolic risk factors like triglycerides and insulin resistance.
This test can also be helpful if you have made a meaningful diet change (for example, changing your intake of seed oils, eggs, meat, or omega-3-rich foods) and you want to see whether your fatty-acid balance is shifting in the direction you intended.
If you are already taking medications that affect inflammation or clotting, or you have an autoimmune or inflammatory diagnosis, AA can be a useful “trend marker” to discuss with your clinician. The result does not diagnose a disease on its own, but it can support clinician-directed decisions about what to check next and when to retest.
Arachidonic acid is measured in a CLIA-certified laboratory; results should be interpreted with your overall clinical picture and are not a standalone diagnosis.
Lab testing
Order an Arachidonic Acid test and draw at a nearby Quest lab.
Schedule online, results typically within about a week
Clear reporting and optional clinician context
HSA/FSA eligible where applicable
Get this test with Vitals Vault
Vitals Vault lets you order arachidonic acid testing without needing a separate doctor’s visit just to obtain a lab requisition. You choose the test, complete checkout, and then visit a nearby Quest location for the blood draw.
Once your results are ready, you can use PocketMD to translate the number into plain language and to map sensible follow-up questions, such as whether you should also check omega-3s (EPA/DHA), an omega-6:omega-3 balance metric, or broader cardiometabolic markers.
If you are tracking changes, Vitals Vault makes it straightforward to repeat the same test later so you can compare trends rather than guessing from symptoms alone.
- Order online and draw at a nationwide Quest lab location
- PocketMD helps you interpret results and plan next steps
- Designed for trending: easy reorders for follow-up testing
Key benefits of Arachidonic Acid testing
- Quantifies your omega-6 arachidonic acid status instead of relying on diet estimates.
- Adds context to inflammation goals by showing a key precursor to inflammatory and pro-resolving signaling molecules.
- Helps you interpret omega-3 results (EPA/DHA) by revealing whether balance, not just one fatty acid, is the issue.
- Supports personalized nutrition planning when you change fat sources (seed oils, animal fats, fish intake) and want objective feedback.
- Can be trended over time to see whether lifestyle changes are moving your fatty-acid profile in a stable direction.
- Provides a useful discussion point with your clinician if you have inflammatory, autoimmune, or cardiometabolic concerns.
- Pairs well with broader panels so you can connect fatty-acid status with lipids, glucose control, and overall risk patterns.
What is Arachidonic Acid?
Arachidonic acid (AA) is a 20-carbon polyunsaturated fat in the omega-6 family. Your body uses AA as a structural component of cell membranes, and it can be released and converted into signaling molecules (often called eicosanoids) that influence how strongly you mount inflammatory responses, how platelets clot, and how blood vessels constrict or relax.
You get AA directly from foods (especially eggs and meat), and your body can also make it from linoleic acid, another omega-6 fat commonly found in many vegetable oils. Because AA is part of a larger fatty-acid network, your AA level is best understood alongside omega-3 fats (EPA and DHA), which compete for similar enzymes and can shift the overall signaling “tone.”
Different labs may measure AA in different fractions (for example, plasma/serum versus red blood cell membranes). Plasma can reflect more recent intake, while red blood cell (RBC) membrane fatty acids tend to reflect a longer-term pattern. Your report should specify the specimen type and units or percent composition used.
What do my Arachidonic Acid results mean?
Low arachidonic acid levels
A low AA result can happen when dietary intake is low, when overall fat absorption is impaired, or when your fatty-acid pattern is shifted toward higher omega-3s relative to omega-6s. In some people, low AA may simply reflect intentional dietary choices and can be appropriate if other markers and symptoms look good. If AA is very low or you have symptoms of poor nutrition, your clinician may consider broader nutrition testing, malabsorption evaluation, or reviewing restrictive diets.
Optimal arachidonic acid levels
An in-range AA result generally suggests you have a typical amount of this omega-6 fat available for normal membrane structure and signaling. “Optimal” is not only about AA by itself, because AA’s effects depend on what else is present, especially EPA and DHA. If your AA is in range but you still have inflammation-related symptoms, it may be more informative to look at the AA:EPA ratio, overall omega-3 index, and non-fatty-acid markers such as hs-CRP.
High arachidonic acid levels
A high AA result can reflect higher intake of AA-rich foods, higher conversion from linoleic acid, or a fatty-acid pattern with relatively low omega-3s. High AA does not automatically mean you have harmful inflammation, but it can indicate a greater capacity to produce pro-inflammatory signaling molecules if other factors push your immune system in that direction. When AA is high, it is often useful to check companion markers (EPA/DHA, AA:EPA ratio, triglycerides, hs-CRP) to understand whether the pattern aligns with your symptoms and risk profile.
Factors that influence arachidonic acid
Your AA level is influenced by diet (AA-rich animal foods and linoleic-acid-rich oils), your omega-3 intake (which can shift balance), and the specimen type being measured (plasma versus RBC). Medications and supplements that affect inflammation pathways can change downstream signaling even if AA itself is unchanged, so your symptoms may not track perfectly with the number. Recent illness, chronic inflammatory conditions, and metabolic health can also affect how fatty acids are mobilized and used. For the cleanest trend, try to test under similar conditions each time and compare results from the same lab method.
What’s included
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an arachidonic acid blood test measure?
It measures the amount of arachidonic acid (AA), an omega-6 fatty acid, in your blood sample. Depending on the assay, the lab may report AA as an absolute concentration or as a percentage of total fatty acids in that sample type.
Do I need to fast for an arachidonic acid test?
Many fatty-acid tests do not strictly require fasting, but fasting can reduce short-term variability from recent meals, especially for plasma-based measurements. Follow the instructions on your lab order, and if you are trending results, try to use the same fasting status each time.
What is a good arachidonic acid level?
“Good” depends on the lab method, specimen type, and how AA relates to your omega-3 levels and health goals. Use the reference interval on your report, and consider interpreting AA alongside EPA/DHA and ratios such as AA:EPA rather than treating AA as a standalone score.
What causes high arachidonic acid?
High AA can be driven by higher intake of AA-rich foods (like eggs and meat), higher conversion from linoleic acid (common in many vegetable oils), or relatively low omega-3 intake. It can also reflect longer-term dietary patterns if measured in RBC membranes.
What causes low arachidonic acid?
Low AA may occur with low overall fat intake, restrictive diets, malabsorption issues, or a fatty-acid pattern shifted toward higher omega-3s. If low AA is unexpected or accompanied by signs of poor nutrition, discuss broader evaluation with your clinician.
How is arachidonic acid different from omega-3 tests like EPA and DHA?
AA is an omega-6 fat that can be converted into signaling molecules involved in inflammation and clotting, while EPA and DHA are omega-3 fats that often counterbalance those pathways. Testing all of them together can show whether your overall balance is skewed, which is often more actionable than any single fatty acid.
When should I retest arachidonic acid after changing my diet?
A practical retest window is often 8–12 weeks, because fatty-acid patterns take time to stabilize, especially if the test is RBC-based. If your test is plasma-based, changes may appear sooner, but consistent timing and similar testing conditions help you interpret trends.