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Published on: July 17, 2018
Adiponectin isoforms in elderly patients with or without coronary artery disease
Stefano Rizza1, Fabrizio Gigli, Angelica Galli
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Objectives:
To study the distribution of adiponectin isoforms in a group of very old patients.
Design:
Cross-sectional.
Setting:
Geriatric ambulatory clinic of the Department of Medicine at Policlinico "Tor Vergata."
Participants:
One hundred eight elderly adults (mean age 85.0+/-3.2) with or without a history of a previous myocardial infarction as proof of established coronary artery disease (CAD) at least 3 months before entry into the study. Accordingly, subjects were divided into CAD positive (CAD+, n=50) and CAD negative (CAD-, n=58).
Measurement:
Assessment of adiponectin isoforms along with metabolic, lipid, and inflammatory profiles.
Results:
CAD+ subjects had significantly higher levels of total adiponectin (Tot-Ad) and low-molecular-weight adiponectin (LMW-Ad) than CAD- subjects (P=.008 for both). LMW-Ad and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were positively correlated, even after adjustment for waist circumference, sex, glomerular filtration rate, and presence of diabetes mellitus (correlation coefficient (r)=0.25, P=.05). This association was not confirmed when CAD+ subjects were analyzed alone. A positive association was found in CAD+ subjects between brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), high-molecular-weight adiponectin (HMW-Ad), and Tot-Ad (r=0.798 and r=0.795, P<.001 for all) but not LMW-Ad.
Conclusion:
Distribution of adiponectin isoforms differed in populations of elderly subjects according to the presence of coronary atherosclerosis. The data support the hypothesis for a protective role of LMW-Ad during aging, although additional studies are needed to definitively clarify whether LMW-Ad plays a protective role in older people with a history of CAD.
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