In a new study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers performed metabolomic profiling on three different cohorts of patient samples to see which metabolites might predict long-term major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among patients with diabetes.
Through their research, led by Jessica Regan, MD, and the lab of Svati Shah, MD, Ursula Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases, they found that certain metabolites are markers of dysregulated mitochondrial activity. “Mitochondria are the powerhouse of our cells,” Regan said, “and they can become overloaded with substrates that they need to break down, but if that system isn’t functioning normally, it can lead to a buildup of these metabolites.”
Knowing what metabolites can become problematic may help lead to more precision medicine approaches for identifying and treating patients with diabetes who are at risk of MACE and cardiovascular complications.
The full publication, Mitochondrial metabolites predict adverse cardiovascular events in individuals with diabetes, is available online.