Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and glycometabolic and oxidative status in overweight subjects: an application of skin autofluorescence

Abstract

Introduction: Overweight and obesity increase the risk of mortality following the onset of several diseases generally characterized by oxidative stress. The levels of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), a consequence of metabolic disorder and oxidative stress, play an important role in the process, and their quantification, based on skin autofluorescence (skin AF), could be used for non-invasive assessment of AGEs. Aim: To evaluate in overweight subjects the diagnostic use of AGE determination (skin AF detected by an AGE Reader) for assessing possible correlation between AGEs and some anthropometric/oxidative indices. Patients and methods: 51 consecutive overweight participants in a nutritional education programme were enrolled in this observational cross-sectional study: 39 women (aged 49.69±13.71; BMI 33.12±5.44 kg/m²) and 12 men (aged 56.84±17.84; BMI 33.12±3.11 kg/m²). Glycometabolic and oxidative parameters were measured using routine laboratory analyzers. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used for statistical analysis. Results: Significant correlations were found between the Cardiovascular Risk Index and age (r=0.65; p<0.0001), AGEs (r=0.41; p<0.0001) and glycosylated haemoglobin (r=0.38; p<0.05); ageing and AGEs (r=0.50; p<0.0001) and glycosylated haemoglobin (r=0.40; p<0.0001); and C-reactive protein and fibrinogen (r=0.52; p<0.0001), homocysteine and fasting glucose (r=0.47; p<0.0001). Discussion: Oxidative stress can be assessed by AGE determination. Our findings in overweight subjects highlight interesting correlations between metabolic-oxidative parameters. Age emerged as the most important indicator of cardiovascular risk and AGE formation. Notably, skin AF, detected by the AGE Reader (a simple non-invasive clinical tool), can be a useful marker for rapid assessment of dysmetabolic-oxidative risk in overweight subjects.