Abstract
Recent evidence shows that obesity correlates negatively with bone mass. However, traditional anthropometric measures such as body mass index could not discriminate visceral adipose tissue from subcutaneous adipose tissue. The visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a reliable sex-specified indicator of visceral adipose distribution and function. Thus, we aimed to identify metabolomic profiles associated with VAI and low bone mineral density (BMD). A total of 602 individuals from the Health Workers Cohort Study were included. Forty serum metabolites were measured using the targeted metabolomics approach, and multivariate regression models were used to test associations of metabolomic profiles with anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical parameters. The analysis showed a serum amino acid signature composed of glycine, leucine, arginine, valine, and acylcarnitines associated with high VAI and low BMD. In addition, we found a sex-dependent VAI in pathways related to primary bile acid biosynthesis, branched-chain amino acids, and the biosynthesis of pantothenate and coenzyme A (CoA). In conclusion, a metabolic profile differs by VAI and BMD status, and these changes are gender-dependent.
Highlights
Obesity is related to metabolic disturbances such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension, insulin resistance, and osteoporosis [1,2,3]
When we categorized the demographics by age groups, we found that the oldest individuals (≥70 years) had medians highest of WC, body fat proportion, glucose, HDL-c, and blood pressure (p < 0.05); as well as a higher prevalence of overweight, impaired glucose tolerance, T2D and lower values of bone mineral density (BMD)
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first metabolomics study showing the serum profile of amino acids and free carnitines associated with the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and BMD status conducted in the Mexican population
Summary
Obesity is related to metabolic disturbances such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension, insulin resistance, and osteoporosis [1,2,3]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1.9 billion adults are overweight, of which more than 650 million are obese [4]. 2018) reported that the percentage of adults with overweight and obesity was 75.2% [5], and osteopenia and osteoporosis in 2019 was 56% and 16%, respectively [6]. Osteoporosis is a common metabolic bone disorder characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) and microstructural deterioration of bone tissues, which increases bone fragility and the risk of fractures [7]. Some potential mechanisms that might explain this association include: (1) visceral adiposity generates an increase in the production of proinflammatory cytokines that could promote osteoclast differentiation [15], (2) the visceral adiposity is associated with a reduction of serum 25(OH)D levels which negatively impact in the BMD [16], and (3) systemic changes in lipid and polar metabolites could promote the production of cytokines and differentiation of osteoclast altering bone metabolism [17]
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