Original Contribution Association of Adiponectin with Coronary Heart Disease and Mortality The Rancho Bernardo Study

Hypoadiponectinemia has been implicated in the development of obesity-related conditions, including dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease (CHD). In this study, the authors examined the association of adiponectin with CHD prevalence, incidence, and mortality among 1,513 community-dwelling men and women aged 50–91 years who were followed from 1984–1987 through 2004. In cross-sectional analyses, adiponectin concentrations were pos-itively related to female sex, age, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol level and inversely related to waist girth, triglyceride level, and fasting plasma glucose level (all p’s < 0.001). Adiponectin levels in the highest sex-specific quintile, as compared with the lowest, were associated with 44 % decreased odds of prevalent CHD (p for trend 0.03); adjustment for high density lipoprotein cholesterol and/or triglycerides eliminated this association. In 20-year prospective analyses, higher adiponectin concentrations predicted reduced risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction in men only; adiponectin was not associated with fatal incident CHD events or 20-year CHD mortality (n 215 deaths) in either sex. Adiponectin levels in the highest sex-specific quintile, as compared with lower levels, were associated with almost 40 % increased risks of cardiovascular disease death (n 441) and death from all causes (n 925), independent of age, sex, waist girth, lipid levels, and glucose level (both p’s < 0.001). These results suggest that use of adiponectin for cardiovascular disease risk stratification is premature. adiponectin; cardiovascular diseases; coronary disease; mortalit