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.