Ma Y, Xiong J, Zhang X, et al. - The present study was conducted to distinguish the specific free fatty acids (FFAs) that best predict the occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in obese individuals, and assess their potential application value. Individuals were classified into three groups: a normal weight group (n = 20), an obese group (n = 10) and a type 2 diabetes mellitus group (n = 10). Researchers ascertained FFAs in serum samples by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis models were applied to examine the FFA profile among the three groups. The results demonstrate that C22:6 can be an independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus, and it has a great potential to predict the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus.