Acetylcarnitine Is Associated With Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Cardiology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• Specific metabolic alterations, including acylcarnitine profiles, may contribute to CVD development in T2DM patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between specific short-chain acylcarnitines and the presence of CVD in patients with T2DM.
• To identify potential acylcarnitine biomarkers for CVD risk in T2DM.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1,032 T2DM patients, comparing 356 with CVD and 676 without.
• Dried blood spot analysis of short-chain acylcarnitines.
• Restricted cubic spline analysis nested in binary logistic regression to determine odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
• Adjustment for confounders using multivariable models and stepwise forward selection.

Main Results:

• Elevated levels of C2, C4, and C6, and decreased C5-OH were observed in T2DM patients with CVD.
• Only elevated C2 remained significantly associated with increased CVD risk in T2DM after multivariable adjustment (OR = 1.558, p = 0.008).
• This association was confirmed to be independent of other clinical factors (OR = 1.562, p = 0.007).

Conclusions:

• Elevated C2 is independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• C2 acylcarnitine may serve as a potential biomarker for CVD risk in T2DM.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms linking C2 to CVD in T2DM.