Menni, C, et al. – The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between long–term weight change and blood metabolites. The results validated that metabolites linked to higher oxidative stress are correlated with increased long–term weight gain.

Methods

• Researchers measured change in BMI over 8.6±3.79 years in 3,176 females from the TwinsUK cohort (age range: 18.3–79.6, baseline BMI: 25.11±4.35) measured for 280 metabolites at follow–up.
• They enrolled statistically significant metabolites (adjusting for covariates) in a multivariable least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) model.
• Findings were replicated in the Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) study (n=1,760; age range: 25–70, baseline BMI: 27.72±4.53).
• The research evaluated whether the metabolites identified could prospectively predict weight change in KORA and in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) study (n=471; age range: 55–74, baseline BMI:27.24±5.37).

Results

• They found that 30 metabolites were significantly correlated with change in BMI per year in TwinsUK using Bonferroni correction.
• As evidence accumulates, 4 were independently correlated with weight change in the multivariable LASSO model and replicated in KORA: namely, urate (meta–analysis β [95% CI]=0.05 [0.040 to 0.063]; P=1.37×10-19), gamma–glutamyl valine (β [95% CI]=0.06 [0.046 to 0.070]; P=1.23×10–20), butyrylcarnitine (β [95% CI]=0.04 [0.028 to 0.051]; P=6.72×10–12), and 3–phenylpropionate (β [95% CI]=–0.03 [–0.041 to –0.019]; P=9.8×10–8), all involved in oxidative stress.
• It was observed that higher levels of urate at baseline were correlated with weight gain in KORA and PLCO.