Arterial stiffness inversely tied to plasma adiponectin levels

(HealthDay)—Arterial stiffness is inversely related to plasma adiponectin levels in young, normotensive patients with type 1 diabetes, according to a study published online Sept. 21 in Diabetes Care.

By measuring carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), Afroditi Tsiakou, M.D., from the Athens University Medical School in Greece, and colleagues assessed large artery stiffness in normotensive patients with type 1 diabetes up to the age of 40.

The researchers found that the 80 patients (39 men) who were included in the analysis were characterized as having an age of 27.1 ± 6.1 years; a body mass index of 24.2 ± 3.1 kg/m²; a glycated hemoglobin level of 7.5 ±1.6 percent; an adiponectin level of 13.9 ± 6.7 µg/mL; and PWV of 5.6 ± 0.9 m/s. There was a significant, inverse correlation of log adiponectin with age-adjusted PWV and waist circumference.

"Arterial stiffness is inversely related to adiponectin concentration in young patients with type 1 diabetes without major complications," the authors write. "Future studies may assess adiponectin at diagnosis of diabetes and after cardiovascular events, while randomized trials could target increasing adiponectin in patients with type 1 diabetes and low adiponectin."