Lack of age‐related increase in average glycemia in a non‐Westernized sample of rural Yucatec Maya females

Abstract

Age-related decline in glucose processing and the associated progressively higher circulating glucose levels are considered well-established biological aging phenomena. However, their occurrence in non-Westernized populations characterized by less mechanization and dietary processing has not been well-studied. This research extends evaluation of lifestyle conditions of diet and physical activity beyond those of Westernized areas and examines aging patterns in blood glucose among rural Yucatec Maya. The purpose is to investigate whether deteriorating glucose processing is intrinsic to human aging, while controlling for body composition in a non-Westernized setting. Data were gathered from 60 nondiabetic Maya women, 40-85 years of age, living in 16 rural villages around Merida, Yucatan. Information regarding personal history, diet, and physical activity was collected through interviews. Body composition was assessed through anthropometric and derived indicators of body size, fat distribution, body mass index, intra-abdominal fat, and total fat and fat-free masses. Glycemia was measured through microvenous samples analyzed for glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) and fructosamine, to demonstrate average circulating glucose under customary living conditions. As indicated by glycation, average glycemia is not higher in older Maya females (age group F for HbA(1c) = 0.88, P > 0.05; age group F for fructosamine = 0.38, P > 0.05). Further, correlations between age and HbA(1c) (r = -0.13, P > 0.05) and fructosamine (r = -0.10, P > 0.05) are negative and not significant. The absence of significant, positive age associations with HbA(1c) and fructosamine persists when effects of body composition are taken into account. Thus, decline in glucose regulation does not appear to be a feature of aging in this non-Westernized sample, suggesting that age-related deterioration in glucose processing is not universal among human populations. Results suggest that relationships of age with glycemia are linked to lifestyle differences.

Body size and shape and glycemic control among Maya women in rural Yucatán

“…Estimated overall quantity of physical activity is also largely consistent among the whole sample. In general, the relative similarity in personal history, living conditions, and dietary and activity habits among these Maya women (McLorg, 2004) corroborates the cultural and behavioral homogeneity among Yucatec Maya shown in other research (Everton, 1991;Smerken, 1994;Webber, 1980). At the end of the research visit each woman was presented with an unexpected gift of local food and toiletry items.…”

“…The final sample consisted of 60 women with an even distribution of ages from 40.8-85.6 years (mean 62.3 AE 13.3 years). While several studies document positive associations between age and glycated blood proteins (e.g., Baker et al, 1988;Wu et al, 1998;Yates and Laing, 2002), no significant relation between age and levels of HbA 1c and fructosamine is found in this sample (McLorg, 2004). Overall, respondents are reasonably representative of healthy, active, community-living older rural Maya females.…”

The Influence of Regular Physical Exercise on the Advanced Glycated End Products

“…Another explanation could be related to the improvement in glycemic control. Th e more controlled the serum glucose level, the fewer AGEs found in body tissues as these compounds are conditioned by glycemia levels, which is greatly infl uenced by regular PE [73,74]. Such eff ect is under the impact of a noticeable reduction on the peripheral resistance to insulin, which could attenuate the accumulation of AGEs [75,76,77].…”