Fasting blood glucose as a predictor of mortality: Lost in translation.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-2-2021

Publication Title

Cell Metab

Keywords

JMG

JAX Source

Cell Metab 2021 Nov 2; 33(11):2189-2200.e3

Volume

33

Issue

11

First Page

2189

Last Page

2200

ISSN

1932-7420

PMID

34508697

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.08.013

Grant

AG038070

Abstract

Aging leads to profound changes in glucose homeostasis, weight, and adiposity, which are considered good predictors of health and survival in humans. Direct evidence that these age-associated metabolic alterations are recapitulated in animal models is lacking, impeding progress to develop and test interventions that delay the onset of metabolic dysfunction and promote healthy aging and longevity. We compared longitudinal trajectories, rates of change, and mortality risks of fasting blood glucose, body weight, and fat mass in mice, nonhuman primates, and humans throughout their lifespans and found similar trajectories of body weight and fat in the three species. In contrast, fasting blood glucose decreased late in life in mice but increased over the lifespan of nonhuman primates and humans. Higher glucose was associated with lower mortality in mice but higher mortality in nonhuman primates and humans, providing a cautionary tale for translating age-associated metabolic changes from mice to humans.

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