Clinical significance of serum adiponectin in Japanese diabetic patients

Abstract

To investigate the clinical significance of the serum adiponectin concentration in Japanese diabetic patients. We examined serum adiponectin levels in 1,541 diabetic patients from 2005 to 2009. The serum level of adiponectin was higher in patients with type 1 diabetes and in those receiving pioglitazone treatment than in other groups. Serum adiponectin was inversely correlated with body mass index, waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose, serum triglycerides, serum uric acid, fasting serum IRI, and HOMA-IR; it was positively correlated with age and HDL cholesterol. Serum adiponectin was significantly lower in diabetic male patients with metabolic syndrome than in those without it, and patients with more cardiometabolic risk factors also had lower adiponectin levels. Serum adiponectin was significantly lower in patients with microangiopathy than in those without (both male and female), and was also significantly lower in male patients with macroangiopathy than in those without it. Measurement of the serum adiponectin in diabetic patients is useful for assessing metabolic status and for evaluating the risk of arteriosclerosis, particularly in males.