A new long-term study published in Diabetologia has found that higher levels of the soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) are linked to lower obesity measures in adults with type 1 diabetes, regardless of kidney disease status. However, sRAGE did not predict changes in body fat over time.

Researchers analyzed data from 3,886 adults with type 1 diabetes in the FinnDiane study. The median follow-up period was 6.3 years. Central obesity was measured by the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and general obesity by BMI. Serum sRAGE concentrations were measured at baseline, and changes in obesity measures were tracked over the follow-up period.

During the study, BMI increased by a median of 0.76 kg/m² and WHtR by 0.019, with almost two-thirds of participants showing increases in each measure (67% and 68%, respectively). At baseline, sRAGE levels were inversely linked to both BMI and WHtR (p < 0.001 for both).

The similar results were reported across individuals with no, moderate, or severe albuminuria. However, sRAGE was not linked to changes in BMI or WHtR during follow-up.