Differential association of adiponectin with cardiovascular risk markers in men and women? The KORA survey 2000.
BACKGROUND
In men, high adiponectin concentrations were related to a lower risk of myocardial infarction, whereas no association with cardiovascular events was found in women.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate sex differences in the associations of adiponectin with cardiovascular risk factors.


METHODS
Cross-sectional population-based KORA Survey 2000 in Southern Germany using the same study methods for cardiovascular risk factors as the former WHO MONICA project.


METHODS
A total of 697 men and 657 women, aged 55-74 years. Glucose tolerance status was assessed by oral glucose tolerance tests.


RESULTS
Adiponectin (geometric mean, interquartile range; microg/ml) levels were significantly higher in women (11.1; 8.5-14.9) than in men (7.1; 5.2-9.6) (P<0.05). In univariate analyses, HDL-cholesterol and age were significantly positively correlated with adiponectin in both sexes. Negative correlations were observed with BMI, waist circumference, fasting and postchallenge glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, triglycerides, uric acid and CRP (P<0.01). In sex-specific multivariate regression, age and HDL-cholesterol were independently positively, and fasting insulin and 2-h glucose were negatively related to adiponectin in both sexes. Uric acid was significantly inversely related to adiponectin in women only (sex interaction: P=0.02). Exploratory sex-specific factor analysis of adiponectin and the core components of the metabolic syndrome yielded four similar factors. Adiponectin loaded negatively on the 'lipids' factor in both sexes.


CONCLUSIONS
The associations of adiponectin with cardiovascular risk factors showed a similar pattern in both sexes, except for uric acid. This small sex difference may not explain previous conflicting results on the association of adiponectin with cardiovascular events in men and women.
Rathmann
W
W
Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center at Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany. rathmann@ddz.uni-duesseldorf.de
Haastert
B
B
Herder
C
C
Hauner
H
H
Koenig
W
W
Meisinger
C
C
Holle
R
R
Giani
G
G
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
D052242:Adiponectin