Adiponectin is a better predictor of endothelial function of the coronary artery than HOMA-R, body mass index, immunoreactive insulin, or triglycerides.

Description

Several studies have reported that there is a relationship between decreased levels of circulating adiponectin and endothelial dysfunction in peripheral arteries. However, the relationship between adiponectin levels and endothelial function in coronary arteries required clarification. In light of this, Okui et al. determined the impact of circulating adiponectin levels on coronary artery endothelial function (evaluated by coronary vascular response to acetylcholine) and verified whether circulating adiponectin concentrations were a useful predictor of coronary endothelial function in 36 non-diabetic patients with normal or mildly diseased coronary arteries. The authors found that adiponectin levels positively correlated with changes in coronary blood flow and coronary artery diameter induced by acetylcholine. Furthermore, body mass index (BMI), insulin resistance index (HOMA-R), immunoreactive insulin, and triglyceride levels were also significantly and negatively associated with changes in both coronary blood flow and coronary artery diameter. This study also revealed that the adiponectin concentration was the only independent predictor of coronary endothelial function. The findings of this small study suggest that adiponectin could be a better predictor of coronary endothelial function compared to other known predictors such as HOMA-R, BMI, immunoreactive insulin, and triglycerides.