title: Branched-chain amino acids are associated with cardiometabolic risk profiles found already in lean, overweight and obese young.
abstract: Cardiovascular risk is increased in obese subjects. Nevertheless, some overweight and obese remain cardiometabolically healthy (CMH), and normal-weight persons develop cardiovascular disease (CVD). Herein, we investigate the potential of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to identify an increased CVD risk in a cross-sectional study of 666 adults and juveniles (age 25.3±12.8years), classified as lean, overweight or obese. Cardiometabolic groups were defined by cutoffs of systolic blood pressure<130mmHg, diastolic blood pressure<85mmHg, glucose<125mg/dl, triglycerides<150mg/dl, HDL-cholesterol>40mg/dl (males), HDL-cholesterol>50mg/dl (females) and HOMA-IR<5. CMH had ≤1 cutoff, and cardiometabolically abnormal (CMA) had ≥2 cutoffs. Amino acids were measured by high-pressure lipid chromatography after precipitation of serum with perchloric acid and derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde. Valine correlated with 5, leucine correlated with 3 and isoleucine correlated with 5 of the cardiac risk classification factors. Valine and leucine were significantly higher in the obese (P<.001, P=.015, respectively), overweight (P<.001, P=.015, respectively) and lean (P=.024, P=.012, respectively) CMA compared to CMH subjects. Isoleucine showed except of the lean group the same results. Taken together, BCAAs, especially valine and leucine, are proposed as a cardiometabolic risk marker independent of body mass index (BMI) category.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. Electronic address: harald.mangge@klinikum-graz.at.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mangge
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Sieglinde
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zelzer
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prüller
authors.affiliation: General Practice for Internal Medicine, Bruck an der Mur, Austria.
authors.forename: Wolfgang J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Schnedl
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Obesity Research Unit, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weghuber
authors.affiliation: Institute of Laboratory Medicine, General Hospital Steyr, Steyr, Austria.
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Enko
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bergsten
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haybaeck
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meinitzer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000097:blood*; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D044882:Glucose Metabolism Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000067329:Obesity, Metabolically Benign / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013851:Thinness / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Body mass index; Branched-chain amino acids; Cardiometabolic risk