1. ¹Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Baltimore Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, USA
2. ²Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

Correspondence: AS Ryan, Division of Gerontology, BT/18/GR, 10 N Greene St., Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. E-mail: aryan@grecc.umaryland.edu

Received 22 November 2002; Revised 20 March 2003; Accepted 16 April 2003.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine changes in adiponectin levels with moderate weight loss, weight loss plus aerobic exercise, or weight loss plus resistive exercise in overweight and obese, sedentary postmenopausal women.

DESIGN: Longitudinal, clinical intervention study of 6-month (3 /week) program of either weight loss (WL, n=15), weight loss + aerobic exercise (WL+AEX, n=16), or weight loss + resistive exercise (WL+RT, n=9)

SUBJECTS: We studied 40 sedentary, overweight and obese (body mass index, BMI=321 kg/m², Xs.e.m.) postmenopausal (571y) women.

MEASUREMENTS: Fat mass and fat-free mass (FFM) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, plasma insulin, leptin, and adiponectin by radioimmunoassay.

RESULTS: Age, body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumferences, waist-to-hip ratio, VO₂max, percent fat, total body fat mass, FFM, and fasting plasma glucose, insulin, leptin, and adiponectin concentrations were similar among WL, WL+AEX, and WL+RT groups before the interventions. In all women combined, body weight, BMI, and waist and hip circumferences decreased (P < 0.001). There was a significant absolute decrease in percent body fat from 47 to 44%, representing a 13% decrease in total fat mass and a -1.6% change in FFM. Fasting concentrations of plasma adiponectin did not change (4016%, P=NS), whereas fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and leptin all decreased (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Plasma adiponectin levels do not change with a 6-month moderate weight reduction program even when accompanied by aerobic or resistive exercise training in overweight and obese postmenopausal women.