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Clinical Studies and Practice

Two-year changes in circulating adiponectin, ectopic fat distribution and body composition in response to weight-loss diets: the POUNDS Lost Trial

International Journal of Obesity volume 40, pages 1723–1729 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Adiponectin has a pivotal role in linking fat distribution with cardiometabolic disorders. We investigated the associations of long-term changes in circulating adiponectin with body composition and fat distribution at different abdominal depots in response to weight-loss dietary interventions, as well as the modification effect of sex.

Subjects/Methods:

In the 2-year Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies (POUNDS Lost) Trial, 811 overweight or obese adults were randomly assigned to one of four diets varying in macronutrient intakes. Circulating concentrations of adiponectin were repeatedly measured at baseline, 6 months and 2 years. Body composition and fat distribution were repeatedly measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan (n=424) and computed tomography (n=195).

Results:

Over the 2-year intervention, after adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, follow-up time, diet group, baseline body mass index and baseline level of respective outcome trait, increase of adiponectin was significantly associated with reduction of total fat mass (FM), total fat-free mass (FFM), whole body total percentage of fat mass (FM%), percentage of trunk fat (TF%), total adipose tissue (TAT), and adipose tissue mass at different depots including visceral (VAT), deep subcutaneous (DSAT) and superficial subcutaneous (SSAT; P<0.03 for each). The relations with FM, FM%, TF%, VAT and DSAT were significantly modified by sex (P for interaction=0.02, 0.005 and <0.001, 0.002, 0.03, respectively) with greater reductions associated with increase of adiponectin in men than in women.

Conclusions:

Long-term changes in circulating adiponectin were differentially associated with improvement of body composition and abdominal fat distribution in men and women.

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Acknowledgements

We are particularly grateful to all participants in the POUNDS Lost Trial for their dedication and contribution to the research. The study was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (HL071981, HL034594, HL126024), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK091718, DK100383, DK078616), the Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center (DK46200) and United States–Israel Binational Science Foundation Grant 2011036. Dr Qi was a recipient of the American Heart Association Scientist Development Award (0730094N). The funders had no role in the design or conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis or interpretation of the data; or preparation, review or approval of the manuscript.

Author contributions

WM and LQ: study concept and design, statistical analysis, interpretation of the data, drafting of the manuscript, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content and approval of the final manuscript for submission; TH and YZ: statistical advice, interpretation of the data, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content and approval of the final manuscript for submission; TW, YH, DS, MW, SRS, GAB and FMS: critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content and approval of the final manuscript for submission; LQ will take full responsibility of the work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    W Ma, M Wang & L Qi

  2. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA

    T Huang, T Wang, Y Heianza, D Sun & L Qi

  3. Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Y Zheng, F M Sacks & L Qi

  4. Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes, Florida Hospital and Sanford Burnham Institute, Orlando, FL, USA

    S R Smith

  5. Pennington Biomedical Research Center of the Louisiana State University System, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    G A Bray

  6. Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    L Qi

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Ma, W., Huang, T., Wang, M. et al. Two-year changes in circulating adiponectin, ectopic fat distribution and body composition in response to weight-loss diets: the POUNDS Lost Trial. Int J Obes 40, 1723–1729 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2016.128

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