Association of Serum β-Hydroxybutyrate and Coronary Artery Disease in an Urban Chinese Population

Abstract

Ketone bodies, including β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), acetoacetate (AA), and acetone, can substitute and alternate with glucose under conditions of fuel/food deficiency. Ketone-body metabolism is increased in a myriad of tissue-metabolism disorders. Perturbations in metabolism are major contributors to coronary artery disease (CAD). We investigated the association of BHB with CAD. A total of 2,970 people of Chinese Han ethnicity were enrolled. The Gensini score was calculated for all patients who had positive findings. The serum level of BHB and other laboratory parameters were measured. The association of serum levels of metabolites with traditionally risk factors and CAD severity was analyzed. The BHB was found to be associated with some traditional risk factors of CAD and CAD severity, as determined by the Gensini score or the number of diseased regions. Moreover, BHB was associated with the T3/T1 tertiles of the Gensini score after the adjustment for traditional risk factors by multivariable logistic regression analysis. The association of BHB with CAD severity was more obvious in women. Taken together, these data suggest that the circulating BHB level is independently associated with CAD severity, and that this association is more pronounced in women.

Exercise Ameliorates Atherosclerosis via Up-Regulating Serum β-Hydroxybutyrate Levels

“…As shown in Figure 3 A,B, 1 mM BHB markedly upregulated the expression of ABCA1, ABCG1, and SR-BI (ABCA1: p = 0.0015; ABCG1: p = 0.02; SR-BI: p = 0.0006) ( Figure 3 A,B). We also found that BHB treatment markedly attenuated intracellular lipid accumulation, as analyzed by Oil Red O staining ( p = 0.0349) ( Figure 3 C,D) [ 33 ]. These results suggest that BHB can enhance the expression of cholesterol transporter proteins in PMs and inhibit foam cell formation.…”

Targeting protein modifications in metabolic diseases: molecular mechanisms and targeted therapies

“…In the Chinese sample, serum β-OHB levels were discovered to be related to coronary artery disease. 569 Oral administration of ketone body 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB) can improve atherosclerosis in ApoE -/- mice by inhibiting macrophage autophagy. 199 …”