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.

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.