Novel plasma biomarkers improve discrimination of metabolic health independent of weight

Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 7;10(1):21365. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-78478-w.

Abstract

We sought to determine if novel plasma biomarkers improve traditionally defined metabolic health (MH) in predicting risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events irrespective of weight. Poor MH was defined in CATHGEN biorepository participants (n > 9300), a follow-up cohort (> 5600 days) comprising participants undergoing evaluation for possible ischemic heart disease. Lipoprotein subparticles, lipoprotein-insulin resistance (LP-IR), and GlycA were measured using NMR spectroscopy (n = 8385), while acylcarnitines and amino acids were measured using flow-injection, tandem mass spectrometry (n = 3592). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models determined association of poor MH and plasma biomarkers with time-to-all-cause mortality or incident myocardial infarction. Low-density lipoprotein particle size and high-density lipoprotein, small and medium particle size (HMSP), GlycA, LP-IR, short-chain dicarboxylacylcarnitines (SCDA), and branched-chain amino acid plasma biomarkers were independently associated with CVD events after adjustment for traditionally defined MH in the overall cohort (p = 3.3 × 10-4-3.6 × 10-123), as well as within most of the individual BMI categories (p = 8.1 × 10-3-1.4 × 10-49). LP-IR, GlycA, HMSP, and SCDA improved metrics of model fit analyses beyond that of traditionally defined MH. We found that LP-IR, GlycA, HMSP, and SCDA improve traditionally defined MH models in prediction of adverse CVD events irrespective of BMI.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Biomarkers / blood*
  • Body Mass Index
  • Body Weight / physiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Insulin Resistance / physiology
  • Lipoproteins / blood
  • Lipoproteins, HDL / blood
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Male
  • Metabolomics
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Infarction / blood
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Risk Factors
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Lipoproteins
  • Lipoproteins, HDL