Prediction of Metabolic Disorders Using NMR-Based Metabolomics: The Shanghai Changfeng Study

Area of Science:

• Metabolic Health Research
• Clinical Biochemistry
• Longitudinal Cohort Studies

Background:

• Metabolically healthy status is often transient and can progress to metabolic disorders.
• Understanding predictors of metabolic dysfunction in healthy populations is crucial for preventative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence of metabolic disorders in metabolically healthy Chinese adults.
• To identify serum metabolites associated with the transition from metabolically healthy to unhealthy status.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 1078 metabolically healthy Chinese adults from the Shanghai Changfeng Study.
• Categorization into metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW) and metabolically healthy overweight/obesity (MHO) groups.
• Serum metabolomic profiling using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy.
• Follow-up assessment after a median of 4.2 years.

Main Results:

• Higher incidence of metabolic disorders observed in MHO compared to MHNW participants over time.
• A subgroup of MHO participants who remained metabolically healthy showed similar disorder prevalence to MHNW.
• Serum levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) decreased, while valine, leucine, alanine, and tyrosine increased in the stable MHO group.
• Serum intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-CH) were implicated in the transition to unhealthy status.

Conclusions:

• Metabolically healthy overweight/obesity is a dynamic state with a higher risk of developing metabolic disorders.
• Serum IDL and VLDL-CH are potential biomarkers for identifying individuals at increased metabolic risk.
• Further research can leverage these metabolites for early detection and intervention in metabolic health.