Original Article
International Journal of Obesity (2007) 31, 770–776. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803471; published online 21 November 2006
Differential association of adiponectin with cardiovascular risk markers in men and women? The KORA survey 2000
W Rathmann1, B Haastert1, C Herder2, H Hauner3, W Koenig4, C Meisinger5, R Holle6 and G Giani1
- 1Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center at Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
- 2German Diabetes Clinic, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center at Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
- 3Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Technical University Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
- 4Department of Internal Medicine II-Cardiology, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
- 5Institute of Epidemiology, GSF – National Research Center for Environment and Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- 6Institute of Health Economics and Health Care Management, GSF – National Research Center for Environment and Health, Neuherberg, Germany
Correspondence: Dr W Rathmann, Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center at Heinrich Heine University, Auf'm Hennekamp 65, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany. E-mail: rathmann@ddz.uni-duesseldorf.de
Received 18 November 2005; Revised 2 August 2006; Accepted 3 August 2006; Published online 21 November 2006.
Abstract
Background:
In men, high adiponectin concentrations were related to a lower risk of myocardial infarction, whereas no association with cardiovascular events was found in women.
Objective:
To investigate sex differences in the associations of adiponectin with cardiovascular risk factors.
Design:
Cross-sectional population-based KORA Survey 2000 in Southern Germany using the same study methods for cardiovascular risk factors as the former WHO MONICA project.
Participants:
A total of 697 men and 657 women, aged 55–74 years. Glucose tolerance status was assessed by oral glucose tolerance tests.
Results:
Adiponectin (geometric mean, interquartile range; 
g/ml) levels were significantly higher in women (11.1; 8.5–14.9) than in men (7.1; 5.2–9.6) (P<0.05). In univariate analyses, HDL-cholesterol and age were significantly positively correlated with adiponectin in both sexes. Negative correlations were observed with BMI, waist circumference, fasting and postchallenge glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, triglycerides, uric acid and CRP (P<0.01). In sex-specific multivariate regression, age and HDL-cholesterol were independently positively, and fasting insulin and 2-h glucose were negatively related to adiponectin in both sexes. Uric acid was significantly inversely related to adiponectin in women only (sex interaction: P=0.02). Exploratory sex-specific factor analysis of adiponectin and the core components of the metabolic syndrome yielded four similar factors. Adiponectin loaded negatively on the 'lipids' factor in both sexes.
Conclusion:
The associations of adiponectin with cardiovascular risk factors showed a similar pattern in both sexes, except for uric acid. This small sex difference may not explain previous conflicting results on the association of adiponectin with cardiovascular events in men and women.
Keywords:
adiponectin, cardiovascular risk, epidemiology, insulin resistance, cholesterol
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