title: Branch chain amino acids: biomarkers of health and disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is burgeoning evidence that branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) are biomarkers of metabolic, cardiovascular, renal and cerebrovascular disease. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current evidence in this area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent evidence demonstrates that BCAAs are associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, risk of cardiovascular disease, stage I and II chronic kidney disease and ischemic stroke. Further, circulating levels of BCAAs have the potential to predict populations at risk for cardiometabolic disease, type 2 diabetes and mortality from ischemic heart disease. Importantly, the relationship of BCAAs to insulin resistance is affected by the intake of fat in the diet as well as age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current evidence supports the potential use of BCAAs as biomarkers of disease. However, questions regarding the mechanisms underlying the relationship of BCAAs to disease process and severity need to be answered prior to the use of BCAAs as a biomarker in clinical practice.
authors: aDepartment of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition bDepartment of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors: Bryan C
authors: BC
authors: Batch
authors: Kristen
authors: K
authors: Hyland
authors: Laura P
authors: LP
authors: Svetkey
mesh_terms: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D007511:Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D015415:Biomarkers