Objective: Adiponectin is linked to a favorable lipoprotein profile, but potential longitudinal associations are not known.
Design: A population-based follow-up study of all inhabitants born in 1942, 1947, 1952, and 1957 (n=1294) in Pieksämäki, a town in Finland. Of the 690 subjects participating in both the check-ups, 228 subjects with diabetes or any medication for dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, or diabetes were excluded. The final study population consisted of 462 (182 men and 280 women) apparently healthy subjects.
Methods: Main outcome measures were lipoprotein particle sizes and concentrations, apolipoprotein A-1 (APOA1) and APOB levels at baseline and follow-up across baseline adiponectin tertiles. Serum adiponectin concentrations were determined using an enzyme immunoassay, and lipoprotein subclasses using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Results: At the second health check-up 6.4 years later, the very low-density lipoprotein particle concentration decreased across the baseline adiponectin tertiles in men from 1.04 (0.28) to 0.91 (0.29) nmol/l (P for linearity=0.011) and in women from 0.92 (0.32) to 0.80 (0.24) nmol/l (P=0.002). Correspondingly, the mean high-density lipoprotein particle size increased from 9.78 to 9.90 nm in men (P<0.006) and from 10.00 to 10.14 nm in women (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The favorable links between adiponectin and lipoproteins are detectable 6.4 years later.