Plasma amino acid signatures and cardiometabolic risk: Cause or consequence?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To describe typical amino acid signatures for cardiometabolic risk and to discuss whether such signatures are a cause or merely a consequence of increased cardiometabolic risk. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies confirm the association between plasma amino acid levels and cardiometabolic risk across different populations and for multiple cardiometabolic traits, highlighting the value of plasma amino acid signatures as biomarkers. Preclinical studies targeting branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism show the potential of this novel strategy to improve cardiometabolic health. SUMMARY: Elevated plasma BCAA, aromatic amino acid (AAA), glutamate, low glycine, and a reduced glutamine-to-glutamate ratio are consistently linked to higher cardiometabolic risk, with impaired BCAA metabolism playing a bidirectional role in insulin resistance. Targeting BCAA catabolism may help lower BCAAs and their metabolites, offering a potential strategy to reduce cardiometabolic risk.