Relationship between adiponectin, glycemic control and blood lipids in diabetic type 2 postmenopausal women with and without complication of ischemic heart disease

BACKGROUND: Recently major adipocytokine, adiponectin, are thought to play important roles in the regulation of cardiovascular and metabolic homeostasis. We compared serum adiponectin concentrations and lipid profile in diabetic patients with and without complication of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. METHODS: We included 120 female subjects between the age of 45 and 60 years. The subjects were divided into 3 groups and each group comprised of 40 subjects. First group comprised of normal healthy controls, second group diabetic type 2 patients with no history of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and the third group diabetic patients with IHD. Serum adiponectin concentrations, serum triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol concentrations were determined. RESULTS: Values of fasting and random blood glucose, serum triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL cholesterol were significantly increased (P<0.001) in diabetic patients with IHD as compared with normal control subjects except for serum adiponectin and HDL cholesterol concentrations, which were significantly decreased (P<0.001) in diabetic patients and diabetic patients with IHD group. When values of cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, fasting and random blood glucose and adiponectin were compared among diabetic and diabetic patients with IHD, it was observed that they were significantly increased (P<0.001) except for adiponectin, which was decreased significantly (P<0.001) and random blood glucose, LDL and HDL cholesterol in which no change was observed between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Serum adiponectin concentrations may be a predictor for development of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal diabetic patients.