Habitual intake of advanced glycation endproducts is not associated with worse insulin sensitivity, worse beta cell function, or presence of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes: The Maastricht Study

A diet high in advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) is a potential risk factor for insulin resistance, beta cell dysfunction, and ultimately type 2 diabetes. We investigated associations between habitual intake of dietary AGEs and glucose metabolism in a population-based setting. In 6275 participants of The Maastricht Study (mean ± SD age: 60 ± 9, 15.1% prediabetes and 23.2% type 2 diabetes), we estimated habitual intake of dietary AGEs Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), Nε-(1-carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL), and Nδ-(5-hydro-5-methyl-4-imidazolon-2-yl)-ornithine (MG-H1) by combining a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with our mass-spectrometry dietary AGE database. We determined insulin sensitivity (Matsuda- and HOMA-IR index), beta cell function (C-peptidogenic index, glucose sensitivity, potentiation factor, and rate sensitivity), glucose metabolism status, fasting glucose, HbA1c, post-OGTT glucose, and OGTT glucose incremental area under the curve. Cross–sectional associations between habitual AGE intake and these outcomes were investigated using a combination of multiple linear regression and multinomial logistic regression adjusting for several potential confounders (demographic, cardiovascular, and lifestyle factors). Generally, higher habitual intake of AGEs was not associated with worse indices of glucose metabolism, nor with increased presence of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Higher dietary MG-H1 was associated with better beta cell glucose sensitivity. The present study does not support an association of dietary AGEs with impaired glucose metabolism. Whether higher intake of dietary AGEs translates to increased incidence of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes on the long term should be investigated in large prospective cohort studies.