High-molecular-weight adiponectin and incident ischemic stroke in postmenopausal women: a Women's Health Initiative Study.
OBJECTIVE
Although low levels of adiponectin are associated with coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease risk factors, it is unclear whether adiponectin levels are related to the risk of developing ischemic stroke.


METHODS
We examined the relationship between baseline high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin levels and incident ischemic stroke in postmenopausal women using data and specimens from the Hormones and Biomarkers Predicting Stroke Study, a case-control study nested within the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. Included were 855 incident ischemic stroke cases and 855 control subjects matched for age, race-ethnicity, date of entry into the cohort, and follow-up time. ORs of incident ischemic stroke associated with baseline HMW adiponectin levels were calculated using conditional logistic regression modeling adjusting for body mass index, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, smoking, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, physical activity, C-reactive protein, and aspirin use.


RESULTS
Lower levels of HMW adiponectin were significantly associated with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, higher body mass index, waist circumference, glucose, and insulin levels and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The distribution of incident stroke cases by HMW adiponectin quartiles was 49.9%, 50.5%, 50.7%, and 48.9%, respectively (P=0.96). Multivariable-adjusted ORs of stroke associated with the top 3 quartiles of HMW adiponectin versus the first quartile were 0.99 (95% CI, 0.71 to 1.37), 1.37 (0.99 to 1.91), and 1.25 (0.88 to 1.79), respectively (P trend=0.14).


CONCLUSIONS
Despite moderate associations between HMW adiponectin and cardiovascular disease risk factors, we found no evidence of an association between HMW adiponectin levels and incident ischemic stroke in these postmenopausal women.
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
Alexandra D
AD
Ogorodnikova
Sylvia
S
Wassertheil-Smoller
Peter
P
Mancuso
MaryFran R
MR
Sowers
Swapnil N
SN
Rajpathak
Matthew A
MA
Allison
Alison E
AE
Baird
Beatriz
B
Rodriguez
Rachel P
RP
Wildman
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood*; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016387:Women's Health
D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers