Endocrine Abstracts

Lifestyle-related disorders such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, and hypertension are key contributors to cardiovascular diseases. The interplay of diabetes and hypertension significantly affects the progression of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Amino acids vary chemically based on their side chains, classifying them into acidic, basic, and neutral groups. Alterations in amino acid metabolism are critically involved in disease pathogenesis. This study aimed to assess the plasma-free amino acid (PFAA) profiles and other relevant indices for evaluating lifestyle-related disorders like type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension in the Jordanian population. We recruited 200 participants, half diagnosed with hypertension and T2DM, and half as healthy controls. A comprehensive panel of amino acids across various categories was analyzed using an amino acid analyzer. Clinical assessments included body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), fasting blood sugar (FBS), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Significant differences were observed in BMI, systolic blood pressure (SBP), HbA1c, FBS, LDL-C, and TG levels between the diseased and non-diseased groups. The PFAA profiling revealed elevated levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), aromatic amino acids (AAAs), acidic, basic, glucogenic, and ketogenic amino acids in the diseased cohort. Positive correlations were noted between BCAAs and markers like cholesterol, TG, and BMI, with negative correlations between BCAAs and LDL-C and FBS. Additionally, AAAs showed positive correlations with HbA1c and negative correlations with cholesterol and LDL-C. The findings underscore that elevated plasma concentrations of specific amino acids such as acidic, basic, AAAs, and BCAAs are linked with an increased risk of lifestyle-related diseases, particularly DM and hypertension. These amino acids could serve as novel biomarkers for identifying individuals at heightened risk of these conditions, enhancing early diagnosis and targeted intervention strategies.