Hypertension incidence according to branched-chain amino acid intake in Brazilian adults: a six-year follow-up of the CUME study.

Abstract

PURPOSE: Recent studies show that dietary intake of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) may be associated with chronic diseases, including hypertension. This study aimed to evaluate the association between BCAA intake and the incidence of hypertension. METHODS: This longitudinal study included 3192 participants (M = 1067, F = 2125; mean age = 34 years) from the Cohort of Universities of Minas Gerais (CUME Study, 2016–2022), Brazil. BCAA intake was assessed using a validated 144-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Participants were classified as an incident case of hypertension when they were free of this disease at baseline and had systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg, or used antihypertensives or received a diagnosis of hypertension by a physician in at least one follow-up. Crude and adjusted Cox regression models were used to evaluate the association between BCAA intake and incidence of hypertension. RESULTS: After a median follow-up time of 2.21 years, 213 new cases of hypertension were identified. A direct association was shown between the second tertile of total BCAA (HR = 1.76; 95% CI 1.06–2.90) and isoleucine (HR = 2.04; 95% CI 1.14–3.62) consumption and the incidence of hypertension in males. A direct association was observed between the second tertile of valine (HR = 1.74; 95% CI 1.01–3.02) and leucine (HR = 1.94; 95% CI 1.10–3.41) intake and hypertension incidence among adults aged 30–39 years. Conversely, among younger participants (18–29 years), leucine intake in the second tertile was inversely associated with hypertension (HR = 0.36; 95% CI 0.14–0.89). The main foods that contributed to BCAA intake were unprocessed chicken (16.56%), dairy (16.33%), unprocessed beef (14.98%), fish (7.85%), and beans/lentils (6.44%). CONCLUSION: Our findings may provide valuable evidence to support dietary interventions for the primary prevention of hypertension.