Relationship of a dominant advanced glycation end product, serum carboxymethyl-lysine, and abnormal glucose metabolism in adults: the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

Although hyperglycemia is thought to increase the generation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), studies have not shown a consistent relationship between abnormal glucose metabolism and serum AGEs. We investigated the relationship between a dominant serum AGE, N-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML), and glucose metabolism.Serum CML, fasting plasma glucose, and glucose tolerance were measured in 755 adults in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Fasting plasma glucose was categorized as normal (or = 99 mg/dL), impaired (100-125 mg/dL), and diabetic (125 mg/dL). Two-hour plasma glucose on oral glucose tolerance testing was categorized as normal (or = 139 mg/dL), impaired (140-199 mg/dL), and diabetic (or = 200 mg/dL).The proportion of adults with normal, impaired, and diabetic fasting plasma glucose was 73.8%, 22.9%, and 2.9%, respectively, and the proportion with normal, impaired, and diabetic 2-hour plasma glucose was 73.1%, 19.2%, and 7.7%, respectively. Serum CML (microg/mL) was not associated with abnormal fasting plasma glucose (Odds Ratio [O.R.] 0.60, 95% Confidence Interval [C.I.] 0.15-2.36, P = 0.47) in a multivariate, ordered logistic regression model, adjusting for age, race, gender, body mass index, and chronic diseases. Serum CML (microg/mL) was associated with abnormal 2-hour plasma glucose on glucose tolerance testing (O.R. 0.15, 95% C.I. 0.04-0.63, P = 0.009) in a multivariate, ordered logistic regression model, adjusting for the same covariates.Elevated CML, a dominant AGE, was not associated with elevated fasting plasma glucose and was associated with a reduced odds of abnormal glucose tolerance in older community-dwelling adults.