title: Hypoadiponectinemia in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adiponectin is an adipose tissue-derived hormone that has beneficial effects on cardiac function and has been reported to be associated with lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, and insulin resistance. Serum levels of adiponectin are reduced in obese individuals compared with non-obese individuals. Obesity is associated with an increased incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF); however, the role of adiponectin in AF is unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the plasma adiponectin level and AF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-one consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled for this study. Subjects were divided into two groups: patients with AF (n=30) and controls (n=31). Laboratory evaluation, including levels of plasma adiponectin, was performed and echocardiographic parameters were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The baseline characteristics were not different between the two groups. The plasma adiponectin level of patients in the AF group was significantly lower than in the control group (14.9±7.2 vs. 19.±8.9 µg/mL, p<0.05). In addition, when we divided the AF patients into paroxysmal and chronic AF, the plasma adiponectin level was significantly lower in patients with paroxysmal AF, compared with the control group. In multiple binary logistic regression analysis to evaluate the independent predictors for AF, adiponectin and left atrial diameter were strong independent predictors of AF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study a lower plasma adiponectin concentration was significantly associated with that of paroxysmal AF. Hypoadiponectinemia can potentially be an important risk factor for AF.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Joo
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jung Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: In-Soo
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Si-Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyun-Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tae-Joon
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cha