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Session: Dietary Patterns for Human Health (Poster Theater Flash Session 12)

(PTFS12-04-24) The Association Between a Metabolomics Signature Reflective of Ultra-Processed Food Intake and Type 2 Diabetes Risk in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Monday, July 1, 2024
8:08 AM – 8:12 AM CT
Location:  Hall F1 (The Hub) - Poster Theater

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Kenny Mendoza, PhD Candidate, MS, BS

    PhD Candidate in Nutritional Epidemiology
    Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University
    Somerville, Massachusetts, United States

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Magdalena Sevilla-Gonzalez, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Massachusetts General Hospital
    Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

  • Deirdre K. Tobias, ScD (she/her/hers)

    Assistant Professor
    Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
    Boston, Massachusetts, United States

  • DS

    Daniela Sotres-Alvarez, DrPH

    Associate Professor
    Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

  • BY

    Bing Yu, PhD

    University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston School of Public Health
    Houston, Texas, United States

  • EB

    Eric Boerwinkle, PhD

    University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston School of Public Health
    Houston, Texas, United States

  • QS

    Qi Sun, PhD

    Associate Professor
    Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
    Boston, Massachusetts, United States

  • Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD

    Professor
    Harvard University
    Boston, Massachusetts, United States

  • QQ

    Qibin Qi

    Albert Einstein College of Medicine

  • RK

    Robert C. Kaplan, PhD

    Albert Einstein College of Medicine
    Bronx, New York, United States

  • JM

    Josiemer Mattei, PhD

    Associate Professor
    Harvard University
    Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Objectives: We assessed the association of an ultra-processed food (UPF) intake metabolomics signature with type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk in The US Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

Methods: HCHS/SOL data comprised 3,264 adults of Central/South American, Dominican, Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican heritage, without diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer at baseline (2008-11) with follow-up through 2017. The baseline 24-hour dietary recall-derived Nova UPF intake (diet weight %) was regressed on 650 serum metabolites (Metabolon) with elastic net (EN) and leave one-out cross-validation. A metabolomics signature was computed as the sum of selected metabolites with EN coefficients (β) as weights. Pathway analyses using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes characterized the signature, with false discovery rate (FDR) for multiple comparisons adjustment at 5%. Survey-based multivariable logistic models estimated the T2D odds ratio (95% CI) per 1-SD increase in the signature, with a priori stratification by heritage, nativity, BMI, and Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) tertiles.

Results: Compared with the total metabolite panel, the signature (204 metabolites) underrepresented lipids (45% vs 42%), overrepresented xenobiotics (11% vs 17%), with equal amino acid contribution (25%). The signature displayed enrichment of the glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism sub-pathway (FDR=0.02), with a negative association of UPF intake with dimethylglycine (β=-0.006). Overall, each 10-percentage-point increase in UPF intake corresponded to an average 0.79 SD difference in the signature (r2=0.45; p  < 0.0001). Each 1-SD increase in the signature was marginally associated with 1.21 (0.97, 1.52) higher odds of T2D over 6 years (526 cases). Significant associations were noted for persons with excess weight [OR: 1.28 (1.02, 1.60)] or the highest UPF intake: Puerto Ricans [OR: 2.10 (1.31, 3.35)], US mainland-born [OR: 2.40 (1.39, 4.10)], and in the lowest AHEI tertile [OR: 1.47 (1.03, 2.10)].

Conclusions: A UPF metabolomics signature was adversely associated with T2D risk in Puerto Ricans, persons with US nativity, excess weight, or low diet quality. This association may be attributable to glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism disturbance, but biological mechanisms warrant further investigation.

Funding Sources: NHLBI