Metabolome Alterations Associated with Three-Month Sitting-Time Reduction Among Sedentary Postmenopausal Latinas with...

Area of Science:

• Metabolomics
• Cardiometabolic disease research
• Behavioral intervention studies

Background:

• Cardiometabolic disease incidence is higher in U.S. Hispanics/Latinos.
• Sedentary behavior and menopause increase cardiometabolic risk in postmenopausal women.
• Mechanistic understanding of behavior change interventions for this demographic is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the plasma metabolome impact of a 12-week increased standing intervention.
• To investigate changes in sedentary behavior among postmenopausal Latinas with overweight or obesity.
• To understand the health-promoting behavior change in postmenopausal Latinas.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory analysis of a subset of "Best Responders" (n=43) from a parent trial.
• Matched Controls (n=43) selected using random forest modeling.
• Targeted LC-MS/MS analysis of plasma samples, covariate-controlled general linear models, and multivariate testing with FDR correction.

Main Results:

• Best Responders significantly reduced sitting time (-21%) and increased standing time (40%) compared to controls.
• Significant differences in 24 metabolites (FDR < 0.05) between groups after 12 weeks.
• Metabolite changes related to amino acid metabolism, improved blood flow, and ATP production; pathway analysis indicated effects on glutamate metabolism and phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis.

Conclusions:

• Replacing approximately two hours of daily sitting with standing significantly improved metabolomic profiles.
• The intervention showed potential for reducing cardiometabolic disease risk in postmenopausal Latinas.
• Findings highlight the role of reduced sedentary time in metabolic health for this population.