Branched-chain amino acids predict incident diabetes in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health - ELSA-Brasil.

Abstract Aims To evaluate the role of branch chain amino acid (BCAA) concentrations as a predictor for incident type 2 diabetes (DM). Methods Participants from ELSA-Brasil without diabetes at baseline and followed for 3.9±0.6 years were included in the analysis. The determinations of BCAA (valine, leucine, isoleucine) were performed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Cardiometabolic profile and incidence of DM were evaluated according to quartiles of BCAA at baseline, stratified by sex. Results From 3,828 participants (56% female, 50.5±8.7 years) 299 (8.5%) were diagnosed with DM. For both sexes, a worsening of cardiometabolic profile was observed across increasing BCAA quartiles. In survival analysis, incidence rates of DM for the entire period were highest in participants in the third and fourth quartile of BCAA (log Rank analysis Conclusions Higher levels of BCAA were independently predictors of DM.