Associations of Adiposity and Diet Quality with Serum Ceramides in Middle-Aged Adults with Cardiovascular Risk Factors.

Margaret A Drazba,Melissa Ventura Marra,Ida Holásková,Nadine R Sahyoun

doi:10.3390/jcm8040527

Margaret A Drazba, Melissa Ventura Marra + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8040527

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Abstract

Rates of adverse cardiovascular events have increased among middle-aged adults. Elevated ceramides have been proposed as a risk factor for cardiovascular events. Diet quality and weight status are inversely associated with several traditional risk factors; however, the relationship to ceramides is less clear. This study aimed to determine associations of adiposity and diet quality with circulating ceramides in middle-aged adults (n = 96). Diet quality was estimated using the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015). Serum ceramide concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. A ceramide risk score was determined based on ceramides C16:0, C18:0, and C24:1 and their ratios to C24:0. Participants who were classified as at ‘moderate risk’ compared to ‘lower-risk’ based on a ceramide risk score had significantly higher body mass index (BMI) values, as well as higher rates of elevated fibrinogen levels, metabolic syndrome, and former smoking status. BMI was positively associated with the ceramide C18:0 (R2 = 0.31, p < 0.0001), the ratio between C18:0/C24:0 ceramides (R2 = 0.30, p < 0.0001), and the ceramide risk score (R2 = 0.11, p < 0.009). Total HEI-2015 scores (R2 = 0.42, p = 0.02), higher intakes of vegetables (R2 = 0.44, p = 0.02) and whole grains (R2 = 0.43, p = 0.03), and lower intakes of saturated fats (R2 = 0.43, p = 0.04) and added sugar (R2 = 0.44, p = 0.01) were associated with lower C22:0 values. These findings suggest that circulating ceramides are more strongly related to adiposity than overall diet quality. Studies are needed to determine if improvements in weight status result in lower ceramides and ceramide risk scores.

Highlights

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and major CVD events such as myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke are largely preventable, yet they remain leading causes of death, disability, and health care spending in the United States (U.S.) [1]
The purpose of this study was to determine if diet quality, and adiposity were associated with serum ceramides and the ceramide risk score in middle-aged West Virginians with at least one risk factor for CVD
All of the adiposity measures (i.e., Waist circumference (WC), Waist–hip ratio (WHR), and fat mass index (FMI)); several laboratory values (LDL, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), non-HDL, triglycerides, glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein (CRP)); having a diagnosis of diabetes or metabolic syndrome, and being a former smoker were each significantly associated with at least one ceramide or the risk score

Summary

Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and major CVD events such as myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke are largely preventable, yet they remain leading causes of death, disability, and health care spending in the United States (U.S.) [1]. Traditional risk factors are not always strong predictors of events. Many patients hospitalized for an MI or stroke have low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels within a normal range [3], suggesting that those at CVD risk are not being identified before the disease progresses to an event. There is emerging evidence that a class of lipids—ceramides—may play an important role in the pathogenesis of CVD, and may better predict CVD events than some traditional risk factors [4,5,6]

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