Total adiponectin does not predict cardiovascular events in middle-aged men in a prospective, long-term follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
Plasma total adiponectin is a marker of insulin resistance, but its role in predicting cardiovascular events is unclear. We aimed to investigate the role of adiponectin as a predictor of cardiovascular risk in middle-aged men, and to describe the association between adiponectin and glucose metabolism.


METHODS
In this population-based prospective study of middle-aged men (n=3885), total adiponectin was analyzed. All individuals had undergone an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTTs), and the mean follow-up duration was 27 years. Regression analyses were carried out for indices of glucose metabolism in relation to quintiles (Q1-Q5) of total adiponectin levels. After stratification for smoking or not, the association between total adiponectin and the first incidence of fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular disease (CVD) was analyzed, using Cox's proportional-hazards regression model.


RESULTS
In a separate multiple-regression analysis and after adjusting for possible confounders, the relationship between adiponectin levels and markers of glucose metabolism were found to be significant (P<0.05). However, adiponectin did not independently predict the risk of stroke, coronary events, or a combination of these two outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Levels of total plasma adiponectin are not useful for predicting long-term cardiovascular events in middle-aged men, but are strongly associated with glucose metabolism and markers of insulin resistance.
Department of Internal Medicine, Central Hospital, 652 30 Karlstad, Sweden. Payam.khalili@liv.se
P
P
Khalili
A
A
Flyvbjerg
J
J
Frystyk
F
F
Lundin
J
J
Jendle
G
G
Engström
P M
PM
Nilsson
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D052242:Adiponectin; D001786:Blood Glucose