Low serum choline and high serum betaine levels are associated with favorable components of metabolic syndrome in Newfoundland population

Abstract Background We investigated the relationships between serum choline and betaine levels with metabolic syndrome-related indices in the general population of Newfoundland. Methods A total of 1081 adults selected from an observational cross-sectional study, the CODING study, were assessed. Serum choline and betaine levels were measured by liquid chromatography coupled mass spectrometry. The age, sex, total caloric intake and physical activity level of subjects were controlled as major confounding factors in all analyses. Results Partial correlation and linear regression analysis showed that serum choline levels were positively associated with systolic blood pressure (r:0.124), serum TG levels (r:0.132) and negatively correlated with serum glucose levels (r:-0.121) in males (p Conclusion In conclusion, low serum choline and high serum betaine levels are associated with favorable components of metabolic syndrome in general adults.