Tier 4 — mechanistic

Plasma Concentrations and Dietary Intakes of Choline and Betaine in Association With Atrial Fibrillation Risk: Results From 3 Prospective Cohorts With Different Health Profiles

Hui Zuo, Gard F T Svingen, Grethe S Tell, Per M Ueland, Stein E Vollset, Eva R Pedersen, Arve Ulvik, Klaus Meyer, Jan E Nordrehaug, Dennis W T Nilsen, Kaare H Bønaa, Ottar Nygård
Journal of the American Heart Association 2018 7(8):e008190

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 29650710
PubMed Central
PMC6015426
DOI
10.1161/JAHA.117.008190
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

DesignThree prospective cohort analyses
ModelHuman participants
Sample6949 HUSK, 4164 WECAC and 3733 NORVIT participants
InterventionHabitual dietary choline and/or betaine intake; no randomized TMG treatment
DurationCohort-specific long-term follow-up
EndpointsAtrial fibrillation

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2018, this source examined human observational and biomarker research. Design: Three prospective cohort analyses. Sample/model: 6949 HUSK, 4164 WECAC and 3733 NORVIT participants. The exposure or intervention was Habitual dietary choline and/or betaine intake; no randomized TMG treatment. Follow-up or treatment period: Cohort-specific long-term follow-up.

Circulating and dietary betaine were not consistently associated with atrial-fibrillation risk; the clearest associations concerned choline.

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

  • Circulating and dietary betaine were not consistently associated with atrial-fibrillation risk; the clearest associations concerned choline.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Atrial fibrillation.
  • 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: Accessible full-text extract plus indexed 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

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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