Objective: Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived peptide with antiinflammatory and antiatherogenic effects, is known to protect against the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigate whether hypoadiponectinemia is present in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease (CVD).
Methods and results: In this case-control study, plasma adiponectin concentration was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in type 2 diabetic and nondiabetic subjects with or without ischemic CVD. A total of 534 subjects were studied. The mean plasma level of adiponectin of the 228 patients with ischemic CVD was significantly lower than that of 306 subjects without CVD. When the analysis was stratified according to diabetes status, plasma levels of adiponectin in CVD subjects with or without type 2 diabetes were significantly lower than those of their counterparts. Decreasing concentrations of adiponectin were independently and significantly associated with a higher risk of CVD when concentrations were analyzed by quartile and as a continuous variable. When patients with CVD were subgrouped according to the comorbidity with or without type 2 diabetes, the same trend of association between plasma adiponectin and risk of CVD was observed in each group.
Conclusions: These data show that there are significantly lower levels of plasma adiponectin in patients with ischemic CVD.