Background Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes, heart disease, and kidney failure, and may potential affect skeletal muscle. Whether AGEs are associated with poor muscle strength is unknown. Methods Serum carboxymethyl-lysine (CML), a dominant AGE, circulating receptor for AGEs (sRAGE), and endogenous secretory RAGE (esRAGE) and grip strength were measured in 559 moderately to severely disabled women, age ≥65 years, in the Women’s Health and Aging Study I in Baltimore, Maryland. Results Mean (SD) grip strength among women in the highest quartile of serum CML compared with women in the lower three quartiles was 18.6 and 20.0 kg, respectively (P = 0.002), adjusting for age, race, body mass index, cognitive dysfunction, depression, and diabetes. Serum sRAGE and esRAGE were not significantly associated with grip strength. Conclusion Women with high serum AGEs have greater muscle weakness. Further studies are needed to determine whether AGEs, a potentially modifiable risk factor, are associated with physical performance and disability in older adults.

Objective-To characterize the relationship between advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and circulating receptors for AGEs (RAGE) with cardiovascular disease mortality.Methods-The relationships between serum AGEs, total RAGE (sRAGE), and endogenous secretory RAGE (esRAGE), and mortality were characterized in 559 community-dwelling women, ≥65 years, in Baltimore, Maryland.Results-During 4.5 years of follow-up, 123 (22%) women died, of whom 54 died with cardiovascular disease. The measure of serum AGEs was carboxymethyl-lysine (CML), a dominant AGE. Serum CML predicted cardiovascular disease mortality (Hazards Ratio [H.R.] for highest versus lower three quartiles 1.94, 95% Confidence Interval [C.I.] 1.08-3.48, P = 0.026), after adjusting for age, race, body mass index, and renal insufficiency. Serum sRAGE (ng/mL) and esRAGE (ng/mL) predicted cardiovascular disease mortality (H.R. per 1 Standard Deviation [S.D.] 1.27, 95% C.I. 0.98-1.65, P = 0.07; H.R. 1.28, 95% C.I. 1.02-1.63, P = 0.03), after adjusting for the same covariates. Among non-diabetic women, serum CML, sRAGE, and esRAGE, respectively, predicted cardiovascular disease mortality (H.R. for highest versus lower three quartiles, 2.29, 95% C.I. 1.21-4.34, P = 0.01; H.R. per 1 S.D., 1.24, 95% C.I. 0.92-1.65, P = 0.16; H.R. per 1 S.D. 1.45, 95% C.I. 1.08-1.93, P = 0.01), after adjusting for the same covariates.Conclusions-High circulating AGEs and RAGE predict cardiovascular disease mortality among older community-dwelling women. AGEs are a potential target for interventions, as serum AGEs can be lowered by change in dietary pattern and pharmacological treatment.

Background-Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and the receptor for AGE (RAGE) are implicated in the pathogenesis of renal disease but their relation with level of kidney function has not been well characterized.

Summary ― The effect of dietary energy balance (EB) on growth of ovarian follicles was tested. Cows (n = 9) were fed a high energy diet (HE diet; positive EB; n = 4) or switched to a low energy diet (LE diet; negative EB; n = 5) during the preovulatory period. Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were greater in cows fed the LE diet. Concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) were similar in HE and LE cows. However, the growth of preovulatory follicles in cows fed the LE diet was 50% that of cows fed the HE diet. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in plasma was less in LE-fed cows compared with HE-fed cows, and plasma IGF-I was positively correlated to estrogen: progesterone ratio in follicular fluid of dominant follicles. In summary, slower follicular growth in cows fed an LE diet occurred despite normal plasma LH and coincided with reduced IGF-I and elevated NEFA in plasma.

Aging is associated with a loss of muscle strength, and, in turn, loss of muscle strength has been associated with increased risk of frailty, disability and mortality. The factors that contribute to loss of muscle strength with aging have not been well characterized. Selenium is important in normal muscle function because of its role in selenoenzymes that protect muscle against oxidative damage. We hypothesized that low serum selenium concentrations were associated with poor grip strength. We examined the association between serum selenium and hand grip strength among 676 moderately to severely disabled community-dwelling women in the Women's Health and Aging Study I in Baltimore, Maryland. After adjusting for age, race, body mass index, Mini-Mental Status Examination score, current smoking, hypertension, congestive heart failure and depression, serum selenium was associated with grip strength (P = 0.04). This study supports the idea that selenium is important to muscle strength in older women.

Objective-The objective of this study was to determine whether total serum carotenoids, alphatocopherol, selenium, and obesity were independently associated with oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL) in moderately to severe disabled older women living in the community.Methods-Serum ox-LDL, carotenoids, alpha-tocopherol, and selenium were measured in a population-based sample of 543 moderately to severely disabled women, aged 65 and older, in the Women's Health and Aging Study I in Baltimore, Maryland.Results-Total serum carotenoids, smoking, overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m 2 ), and obesity (BMI≥30 mg/kg 2 ) were significantly associated with ox-LDL/LDL-cholesterol ratio after adjusting for age, C-reactive protein, and chronic diseases. Alpha-tocopherol and selenium were not significantly associated with ox-LDL/LDL-cholesterol ratio.Conclusions-Older women who are overweight or obese or who have low total serum carotenoids are more likely to have higher lipoprotein oxidation. Weight reduction in overweight/obese women and increased intake of carotenoid-rich foods may potentially reduce lipoprotein oxidation. Keywordsbody mass index; carotenoids; low-density lipoproteins; obesity; oxidative stress Oxidation of low-density lipoproteins is considered a key factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease [1]. Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL) are taken up by scavenger receptors on macrophages and contribute to the formation of foam cells and atherosclerotic lesions [1]. Elevated circulating ox-LDL are associated with more severe atherosclerotic lesions [2], and high circulating levels of ox-LDL have been shown to be independently predictive of subclinical atherosclerosis [3] and acute coronary heart disease [4].Obesity is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease [5]. Both abdominal obesity and general obesity (body mass index >30 kg/m 2 ) were shown to be independently associated with circulating ox-LDL among men and women, aged in Spain [6]. Among subjects with LDL is a large particle that contains one apoB molecule and a large number of triacylglycerol, free cholesterol, cholesterol ester, and phospholipid molecules [9]. LDL contains carotenes and xanthophylls, the two major classes of carotenoids in humans, and carotenoids protect LDL against oxidation [10]. The carotenoid content of LDL has been shown to be strongly correlated with serum carotenoid concentrations [11,12].Although carotenoids are known to protect LDL particles from oxidation, the relationship between total serum carotenoid concentrations and circulating ox-LDL has not been well characterized in humans. We hypothesized that both obesity and low total serum carotenoids were associated with elevated circulating ox-LDL in older adults. To address this hypothesis, we assessed serum ox-LDL among older women living in the community who participated in the Women's Health and Aging Study I. Subjects and MethodsSubjects in this study were women, aged 65 and older, who participated in the Women's Health and...

Background and Objectives 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. Subjects and Methods 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 (≤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 (≤139 mg/dL), impaired (140-199 mg/dL), and diabetic (>200 mg/dL). Results 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 (μg/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 (μg/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. Conclusions 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.

Aging is associated with a loss of muscle strength, and, in turn, loss of muscle strength has been associated with increased risk of frailty, disability and mortality. The factors that contribute to loss of muscle strength with aging have not been well characterized. Selenium is important in normal muscle function because of its role in selenoenzymes that protect muscle against oxidative damage. We hypothesized that low serum selenium concentrations were associated with poor grip strength. We examined the association between serum selenium and hand grip strength among 676 moderately to severely disabled community-dwelling women in the Women's Health and Aging Study I in Baltimore, Maryland. After adjusting for age, race, body mass index, Mini-Mental Status Examination score, current smoking, hypertension, congestive heart failure and depression, serum selenium was associated with grip strength (P = 0.04). This study supports the idea that selenium is important to muscle strength in older women.