Exacerbation of cardiovascular ageing by diabetes mellitus and its associations with acyl-carnitines

• Published in: Aging (Albany, NY.) Vol. 13; no. 11; pp. 14785 - 14805
• Main Authors: Gao, Fei, Kovalik, Jean-Paul, Zhao, Xiaodan, Chow, Vivian JM, Chew, Hannah, Teo, Louis LY, Tan, Ru San, Leng, Shuang, Ewe, See Hooi, Tan, Hong Chang, Tan, Tsze Yin, Lee, Lye Siang, Ching, Jianhong, Keng, Bryan MH, Zhong, Liang, Koh, Woon-Puay, Koh, Angela S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Impact Journals 15.06.2021
• Subjects: Research Paper
• ISSN: 1945-4589; 1945-4589
• DOI: 10.18632/aging.203144

OBJECTIVETo demonstrate differences in cardiovascular structure and function between diabetic and non-diabetic older adults. To investigate associations between acyl-carnitines and cardiovascular function as indexed by imaging measurements. METHODSA community-based cohort of older adults without cardiovascular disease underwent current cardiovascular imaging and metabolomics acyl-carnitines profiling based on current and archived sera obtained fifteen years prior to examination. RESULTSA total of 933 participants (women 56%, n=521) with a mean age 63±13 years were studied. Old diabetics compared to old non-diabetics had lower myocardial relaxation (0.8±0.2 vs 0.9±0.3, p=0.0039); lower left atrial conduit strain (12±4.3 vs 14±4.1, p=0.045), lower left atrial conduit strain rate (-1.2±0.4 vs -1.3±0.5, p=0.042) and lower ratio of left atrial conduit strain to left atrial booster strain (0.5±0.2 vs 0.7±0.3, p=0.0029). Higher levels of archived short chain acyl-carnitine were associated with present-day impairments in myocardial relaxation (C5:1; OR 1.03, p=0.011), worse left atrial conduit strain function (C5:1; OR 1.03, p=0.037). Increases in hydroxylated acyl-carnitines were associated with worse left atrial conduit strain [(C4-OH; OR 1.05, p=0.0017), (C16:2-OH; OR 1.18, p=0.037)]. Current, archived and changes in long chain acyl-carnitines were associated with cardiovascular functions [(C16; OR 1.02, p=0.002), (C20:3; OR 1.01, p=0.014), (C14:3; OR 1.12, p=0.033), (C18:1; OR 1.01, p=0.018), (C18:2; OR 1.01, p=0.028), (C20:4; OR 1.10, p=0.038)] (all p<0.05). CONCLUSIONOlder diabetic adults had significant impairments in left ventricular myocardial relaxation and left atrial strain, compared to older non-diabetic adults. Short chain and long chain, di-carboxyl and hydroxylated acyl-carnitines were associated with these cardiovascular functional differences.