Tier 4 — mechanistic

Fibrates may cause an abnormal urinary betaine loss which is associated with elevations in plasma homocysteine

Michael Lever, Peter M George, Sandy Slow, Jane L Elmslie, Russell S Scott, A Mark Richards, John N Fink, Stephen T Chambers
Cardiovascular drugs and therapy 2009 23(5):395-401

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 19653086
DOI
10.1007/s10557-009-6188-1
Funding
Funding was not specified in the indexed record or accessible funding metadata.
Competing interests
A competing-interest declaration was not available in the indexed record or accessible disclosure metadata.

Study snapshot

DesignObservational drug-exposure comparison
ModelHuman participants
Sample32 fibrate-treated patients within studies totaling 740 participants
InterventionMeasured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment
DurationCross-sectional clinical comparisons
EndpointsFibrate exposure; Urinary betaine; Homocysteine

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2009, this source examined human observational and biomarker research. Design: Observational drug-exposure comparison. Sample/model: 32 fibrate-treated patients within studies totaling 740 participants. The exposure or intervention was Measured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment. Follow-up or treatment period: Cross-sectional clinical comparisons.

Bezafibrate use was associated with unusually high urinary betaine loss, which correlated with homocysteine in selected groups.

Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome.

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Key findings

  • Bezafibrate use was associated with unusually high urinary betaine loss, which correlated with homocysteine in selected groups.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Fibrate exposure; Urinary betaine; Homocysteine.
  • The exposure was observed rather than assigned as an isolated supplement treatment.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome.
  • Confounding, dietary patterns, illness, medication use and reverse causation can influence an association. Blood or dietary concentrations do not identify the effect of starting a capsule.
  • Source basis: Indexed abstract and bibliographic data. Missing method details, funding information or participant denominators are not inferred.

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Association of choline and betaine with the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: Meta-analysis
Qinglin Yang et al. · European journal of clinical investigation · 2023
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Jiyoung Youn et al. · Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) · 2019

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology