Associations of adiponectin with metabolic and vascular risk parameters in the British Regional Heart Study reveal stronger links to insulin resistance-related than to coronory heart disease risk-related parameters

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity 2007-07, Vol.31 (7), p.1089-1098
• Main Authors: Wannamethee, S.G, Tchernova, J, Whincup, P, Lowe, G.D, Rumley, A, Brown, K, Cherry, L, Sattar, N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adiponectin; Adiponectin - blood; adipose tissue; Adult; Alcohol use; Biological and medical sciences; Blood pressure; Body Mass Index; British Regional Heart Study; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Care and treatment; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cigarettes; Coagulation; Coronary Disease - blood; Coronary Disease - epidemiology; coronary vessels; correlation; cross-sectional studies; Cytokines; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - epidemiology; Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism; Epidemiology; Exercise; Factor VIII - metabolism; Fat cells; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Health risks; Heart; Heart diseases; hemostasis; High density lipoprotein; human nutrition; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation - blood; Inflammation - epidemiology; Insulin Resistance; Internal Medicine; lifestyle; Liver - metabolism; liver function; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Men; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - blood; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Obesity; original-article; Physiological aspects; Primary care; Public Health; Risk Factors; Smoking; Towns; Triglycerides; Triglycerides - blood; United Kingdom - epidemiology; vascular diseases; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803544

Background and aim: Adiponectin is considered by many to be part of the 'common soil' linking type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD). We examined the relationship between adiponectin and insulin resistance, metabolic, inflammatory and haemostatic risk factors and hepatic function. Methods and results: The study was carried out in 3640 non-diabetic men aged 60-79 years drawn from general practices in 24 British towns and who were not on warfarin. Adiponectin was associated with waist circumference (inversely), alcohol intake (positively) and physical activity (nonlinearly); no association was seen with cigarette smoking, prevalent CHD or stroke. After adjustment for these factors, adiponectin was significantly inversely associated with insulin resistance, triglyceride, C-reactive protein (but not interleukin 6), tissue plasminogen activator and alanine aminotransferase and positively associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and Factor VIII, factors associated with diabetes. No association was seen with cholesterol, smoking, systolic blood pressure or coagulation factors. Risk of the metabolic syndrome decreased significantly with increasing adiponectin. Conclusion: Adiponectin is inversely associated with factors strongly associated with the development of diabetes. Limited associations with the established major risk factors for CHD suggest adiponectin may be a stronger marker of risk for diabetes than for CHD.