Relationship of serum adiponectin with blood lipids, HbA(1)c, and hs-CRP in type II diabetic postmenopausal women.

Adipose tissue has been considered an important endocrine organ. Adiponectin secretes from adipose tissue and plays an important role in the regulation of glycemia, beta-oxidation in muscle, and decreased insulin resistance in the liver. The objectives of this study were to compare the levels of adiponectin, hs-C-reactive protein (CRP), HbA1c, and blood lipids among diabetic and healthy postmenopausal women, and to determine the relationship between circulating adiponectin and development of type II diabetes. This case-control study was performed on 28 diabetic and 42 age-matched healthy women. All participants were postmenopausal. Serum adiponectin concentrations, serum triglycerides (TG), cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations were determined. Blood HbA1c and serum hs-CRP were also measured. Adiponectin levels were significantly decreased (P<0.01) in the diabetic patients as compared to normal control subjects. Adiponectin levels were negatively associated with hs-CRP, LDL-C, HbA1c, TG, and total cholesterol (TC). A positive correlation was observed between adiponectin and HDL-C. The obtained data indicate that diabetic women have lower adiponectin levels compared to healthy women. HbA1c as an indicator of glycemic control has a negative correlation with serum adiponectin. Adiponectin may play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetes, and may be an independent predictor of the development of diabetes in women.