Impact of plasma adiponectin levels to the presence and severity of coronary artery disease in patients with metabolic syndrome

OBJECTIVES: Adiponectin is thought to serve a protective function for the coronary endothelium by inhibiting many of the crucial steps in atherosclerotic process. Previous research has indicated an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). The objective of this study was to investigate whether plasma adiponectin concentrations were associated with the presence and severity of CAD in patients with MetS undergoing coronary angiography. METHODS: We measured plasma adiponectin levels in 167 consecutive patients with MetS undergoing coronary angiography. The severity of coronary atherosclerosis was defined by using Gensini score system. RESULTS: CAD was found in 70.1% of the patients. Patients with significant CAD had lower plasma adiponectin concentrations than those without CAD (4.14+/-3.83 vs. 8.94+/-6.63 microg/ml, P<0.001). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that plasma adiponectin level was independently associated with CAD (odds ratio: 0.86; 95% confidence interval: 0.78-0.94; P=0.001). Plasma adiponectin levels were inversely related to the Gensini score (rho: -0.480, P<0.001) and predicted the severity of coronary atherosclerosis independent of other risk factors (beta: -0.054; 95% confidence interval: -0.074--0.034; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that hypoadiponectinemia may play a role in the development of coronary atherosclerosis and the observation of adiponectin levels may be indicative of the presence of significant CAD in patients with MetS.