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Epidemiology and Population Health

Adiponectin multimers, body weight and markers of cardiovascular risk in adolescence: Northern Ireland Young Hearts Project

International Journal of Obesity volume 37, pages 1247–1253 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Background:

Research examining the relationship between adiponectin (AN) isoforms, body weight and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors is limited, particularly in younger populations.

Objectives:

To investigate the inter-relationships between AN isoforms and CV risk factors, and their dependence on body weight status, in adolescents.

Design:

Blood samples from 92 obese, 92 overweight and 92 normal weight age- and sex-matched adolescents were analysed for traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk biomarkers and also total, high molecular weight (HMW), medium and low molecular weight (LMW) AN.

Results:

A significant inverse association was observed between total and HMW AN and waist-hip ratio (P=0.015, P=0.006, respectively), triglycerides (P=0.003, P=0.003, respectively) and systolic blood pressure (P=0.012, P=0.024, respectively) and a significant positive association with high-density lipoprotein (P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively) in multi-adjusted analyses. There was no evidence of a relationship between multimeric AN and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. There was also little evidence of a relationship between LMW AN and CVD risk factors. There was a strong, body mass index (BMI)-independent, association between AN, CVD biomarkers and the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype.

Conclusion:

Prominent, BMI-independent associations between total and HMW AN, but not LMW AN, and CVD risk factors were already evident in this young population. This research in adolescents supports the contention that AN subfractions may have different biological actions. These associations in apparently healthy adolescents suggest an important role for AN and its subfractions in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome traits and indicate that the potential for total or HMW AN to act as early universal biomarkers of CV risk warrants further study.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Cyril McMaster for his help with the laboratory analyses and all of the young hearts participants for their time and enthusiasm. The Northern Ireland Young Hearts Project (YH2000) was funded by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Northern Ireland).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK

    H J McCourt, I S Young, J McEneny, J V Woodside & M C McKinley

  2. Regional Centre for Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, UK

    S J Hunter

  3. Cancer Epidemiology and Health Services Group, Centre for Public Health, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK

    C R Cardwell & L J Murray

  4. Institute for Sport and Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    C A Boreham

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  1. H J McCourt
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Correspondence to M C McKinley.

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Author contributions

LJM and CAB were primarily responsible for the conception of the Young Hearts 2000 project, development of overall research plan for Young Hearts, and study oversight. SJH, MCMcK and JVW initiated the AN analysis and HJMcC performed the analyses. HJMcC, MCMcK and CRC completed the statistical analysis and interpretation of the resultant data. HMcC and MCMcK drafted the manuscript, and all other authors (ISY, JMcE, JVW, SJH, CRC, LJM, CAB) contributed to editing and proof reading of the final version of the article. MCMcK, the corresponding author, had the primary responsibility for the final content.

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McCourt, H., Hunter, S., Cardwell, C. et al. Adiponectin multimers, body weight and markers of cardiovascular risk in adolescence: Northern Ireland Young Hearts Project. Int J Obes 37, 1247–1253 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2012.214

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2012.214

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