This study aimed to determine the impact of waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)-classified obesity and diabetes (DM) status on mitochondrial respiration in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using a large cohort from the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand (EGAT) during 2017-2018. The 1954 participants were included in this study with an average age of 67.1±7.7 years old. The mitochondrial respiration in PBMCs obtained from fresh blood samples was analyzed by the Seahorse Flux Analyzer. The participants were classified based on DM status and WHR including 1) non-DM non-obese, 2) non-DM obese, 3) DM non-obese and 4) DM obese. We found that the non-DM obese group had lower basal respiration (BR), maximal respiration, spare respiratory capacity (SRC), and proton leak (PL), compared to those of the non-DM non-obese group (Figure 1). The BR, SRC, and PL of non-DM obese group were not significantly different from those of the DM group with or without adjusting with age. All of these findings suggest that WHR-classified obesity in people with non-DM is associated with impaired mitochondrial respiration in PBMCs at a level comparable to that in people with DM. Thus, not only DM, but also obesity, may play an important role on impaired mitochondrial respiration in PBMCs.
T.Attachaipanich: None. S.C.Chattipakorn: None. S.Sriwichaiin: None. N.Apaijai: None. S.Kerdphoo: None. N.Thongmung: None. P.Vathesatogkit: None. C.Kitiyakara: None. P.Sritara: None. N.Chattipakorn: None.