Ceramides and cardiorespiratory (CR) fitness are both related to cardiovascular diseases. The associations of three blood plasma ceramides (C16:0, C22:0, and C24:0) with CR fitness in the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-START-1; n = 1,102; mean age 50.3 years, 51.5% women) are investigated. In addition, subgroup analysis according to age (</≥54 years) and sex (female/male) is performed. Ceramides are quantified by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). CR fitness is assessed by a cardiopulmonary exercise test. Sex and age independent associations are found for higher levels of C24:0 and C24:0/C16:0 ratio with higher maximal oxygen consumption (VO2peak) kg-1 and oxygen consumption at the anaerobic threshold (VO2@AT1) as well as for the relation of C24:0/C16:0 with maximum workload (Wattmax kg-1). In contrast, age/sex subgroup specific inverse associations with Wattmax kg-1 are found in women <54 years for C22:0, while a positive association in men ≥54 years. Higher levels of C24:0 are associated with higher Wattmax kg-1, except for women <54 years, where no significant association can be found. The findings suggest that the use of single ceramides as cardiovascular biomarkers may be inferior, compared to ceramide ratio C24:0/C16:0. Therefore C24:0/C16:0 ratio may be a more suitable and robust cardiovascular biomarker and should be preferred over single ceramides.
Keywords: cardiopulmonary exercise test; cardiorespiratory fitness; cardiovascular risk factors; ceramides.
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