Association between Plasma Trimethylamine N-Oxide Levels and Type 2 Diabetes: A Case Control Study

Journal Article

2022

Animal and human studies have reported conflicting results on the relationship between circulating
trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) levels and risk of Type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study aimed
to compare plasma TMAO levels in people with or without T2D and explore the association of TMAO
and T2D. A prospective case-control study of 297 participants, 164 healthy controls and 133 patients
with T2D, was conducted. TMAO levels were quantified by UPLC-MS/MS. Comorbidities, dietary
patterns, physical activity, and blood biomarkers were assessed. Median (IQR) plasma TMAO levels
were significantly higher in diabetes cases (4.95 (2.84–8.35) micromole/L) compared to healthy controls
(3.07 (2.05–4.82) micromole/L) (p < 0.001). The association between TMAO and T2D was significant in the
non-adjusted Model 1 (p < 0.001) and after adjusting for confounders of diabetes including age, BMI,
and level of education in Model 2 (p = 0.04). When the association was further adjusted for physical
activity and diet in Model 3, plasma TMAO levels at only the highest quartile (>6.40 micromole/L) were
associated with the risk of diabetes (OR = 3.36, 95% CI [1.26, 9.04], p = 0.02). The results presented
suggest an association between plasma TMAO levels and T2D. A significant correlation was found
between red meat consumption and increased levels of TMAO in T2D patients. A longitudinal study
is warranted to further evaluate the correlation between TMAO and T2D.

• Publication Work Type: PhD Project