New Metabolomics Study Identifies Inflammatory Marker Associated with Cognitive Decline in Metabolic Syndrome

Congratulations

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Narumol Jariyasopit and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sakda Khoomrung from the Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Metabolomics and Systems Biology (SiCORE-MSB), Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, on their latest publication in ACS Omega (Accepted December 1, 2025):

“Higher Plasma Kynurenine to Tryptophan Correlates with an Increased Incidence of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Treated Metabolic Syndrome Patients.”

📖 Read here 👉 ACS Omega: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.5c09713

🧬 Study Highlights

Metabolic syndrome, commonly linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes, may also significantly affect brain health, particularly memory and executive function.

In this collaborative study between the MSB research group at Siriraj and Chiang Mai University, 95 patients with metabolic syndrome who received treatment were evaluated. Remarkably, over 70% exhibited signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an early stage preceding Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers performed targeted metabolomic profiling of more than 30 blood metabolites to identify biomarkers relevant to Thai patients.

🔹 Key Finding:

The kynurenine-to-tryptophan ratio (KTR), a marker of systemic inflammation, was significantly elevated in patients with MCI.

A one-unit increase in KTR was associated with a 3–4-fold higher risk of MCI, suggesting that chronic low-grade inflammation can impair brain function even when metabolic symptoms are medically managed.

🔹 Additional Observations:

Patients with MCI had lower levels of C20:3 fatty acid and lysine, metabolites linked to anti-inflammatory processes and neuronal health.

This study highlights chronic inflammation as a critical link between metabolic syndrome and cognitive decline. It also suggests that targeted metabolite profiling, such as KTR measurement, may be a promising strategy for early detection of dementia risk in patients with metabolic syndrome.

(Jariyasopit et al., ACS Omega, 2025)