Serum fetuin-A is correlated with metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly Chinese

Fetuin-A is an important player in the enhancement of insulin resistance. We aimed to investigate the association of serum fetuin-A and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a community based Chinese population.

A total of 5469 subjects aged 40 years or above were recruited from two urban communities in Shanghai. Demographic, anthropometric and biochemical features were collected according to a standard protocol. Serum fetuin-A levels were measured using ELISA and the modified NCEP-ATP III criteria were adopted to diagnose MetS.

A higher level of serum fetuin-A was well associated with a variety of metabolic disorders and an increased prevalence of MetS. The relative risks for MetS were markedly elevated in a dose-dependent manner both before and after extended adjustment in total participants (adjusted odds ratios were 1.00, 1.11, 1.20 and 1.40 for fetuin-A quartiles 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively; P value for trend = 0.0002). MetS risks were also significantly associated with serum fetuin-A in various subgroups of sex, age, body mass index and glycaemic status. Moreover, an elevated serum fetuin-A was also independently associated with MetS components including central obesity, high blood pressure, high blood glucose and high triglycerides. Stepwise regression analyses revealed fetuin-A as an independent determinant of insulin resistance measured by the index of homeostasis model (HOMA-IR) (β = 0.064; P = 0.009).

Serum fetuin-A levels were strongly and independently associated with MetS and its components in community-dwelling Chinese adults.