Elsevier

International Journal of Cardiology

Volume 223, 15 November 2016, Pages 992-998
International Journal of Cardiology

Associations between branched chain amino acid intake and biomarkers of adiposity and cardiometabolic health independent of genetic factors: A twin study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2016.08.307Get rights and content
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Abstract

Background

Conflicting data exist on the impact of dietary and circulating levels of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) on cardiometabolic health and it is unclear to what extent these relations are mediated by genetics.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study of 1997 female twins we examined associations between BCAA intake, measured using food frequency-questionnaires, and a range of markers of cardiometabolic health, including DXA-measured body fat, blood pressure, HOMA-IR, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and lipids. We also measured plasma concentrations of BCAA and known metabolites of amino acid metabolism using untargeted mass spectrometry. Using a within-twin design, multivariable analyses were used to compare the associations between BCAA intake and endpoints of cardiometabolic health, independently of genetic confounding.

Results

Higher BCAA intake was significantly associated with lower HOMA-IR (− 0.1, P-trend 0.02), insulin (− 0.5 μU/mL, P-trend 0.03), hs-CRP − 0.3 mg/L, P-trend 0.01), systolic blood pressure (− 2.3 mmHg, P-trend 0.01) and waist-to-height ratio (− 0.01, P-trend 0.04), comparing extreme quintiles of intake. These associations persisted in within-pair analysis for monozygotic twins for insulin resistance (P < 0.01), inflammation (P = 0.03), and blood pressure (P = 0.04) suggesting independence from genetic confounding. There was no association between BCAA intake and plasma concentrations, although two metabolites previously associated with obesity were inversely associated with BCAA intake (alpha-hydroxyisovalerate and trans-4-hydroxyproline).

Conclusions

Higher intakes of BCAA were associated, independently of genetics, with lower insulin resistance, inflammation, blood pressure and adiposity-related metabolites. The BCAA intake associated with our findings is easily achievable in the habitual diet.

Abbreviations

BCAA
branched chain amino acids
DBP
diastolic blood pressure
DZ
dizygotic
FFQ
food frequency questionnaire
HDL-C
high density lipoprotein cholesterol
hs-CRP
high sensitivity C-reactive protein
MZ
monozygotic
SBP
systolic blood pressure
T2DM
type 2 diabetes
SBP
systolic blood pressure
WHtR
waist to height ratio

Keywords

Cardiometabolic
Diet
Amino acids

Cited by (0)

Grant support: This study was in part supported by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/J004545/1) funding to AC, the British Heart Foundation Project Grant (PG/06/032) and the Wellcome Trust European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013). The study also receives support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre award to Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with King's College London. TS is an NIHR Senior Investigator. AC is a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award Holder.

1

This author takes responsibility for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.