Low serum adiponectin predicts 10-year risk of type 2 diabetes and HbA1c independently of obesity, lipids, and inflammation: Whitehall II study

• Published in: Hormone and metabolic research Vol. 41; no. 8; p. 626
• Main Authors: Tabák, A G, Brunner, E J, Miller, M A, Karanam, S, McTernan, P G, Cappuccio, F P, Witte, D R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.08.2009
• Subjects: Adiponectin - blood; Adult; Case-Control Studies; Cohort Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - diagnosis; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - metabolism; Female; Glycated Hemoglobin A - metabolism; Humans; Inflammation - diagnosis; Inflammation - metabolism; Lipid Metabolism; Male; Middle Aged; Obesity - diagnosis; Obesity - metabolism; Predictive Value of Tests; Risk Factors
• ISSN: 1439-4286
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1216359

Our aim of the present work was to study the effect of serum adiponectin on incident diabetes and HbA1c values. We measured baseline serum adiponectin levels in a nested case-control selection (n=140) of the Whitehall II Cohort. Participants (mean [SD] age 50.9 [6.3] years) had no prevalent diabetes or CHD at baseline. Cases (n=55) had incident diabetes according to an oral glucose tolerance test during follow-up (mean: 11.5+/-3.0 years). Adiponectin levels were lower among cases (9.3 microg/ml, 3.2 [median; IQR] vs. 10.5; 3.6, p=0.01). The risk of incident diabetes decreased by 11% (p=0.03) for 1 microg/ml higher adiponectin levels. Higher adiponectin levels were associated with lower HbA1c at follow-up (p<0.05). Both associations were stable to adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and serum lipids, and for the case of HbA1c, also for C-reactive protein (all p<0.05). The observed robust, prospective associations support that adiponectin is an independent predictor of diabetes and the degree of glycaemic impairment.