Correlation between plasma ZAG and adiponectin in older adults: gender modification and frailty specificity

Adiponectin and zinc alpha2-glycoprotein (ZAG) are associated with frailty. This study aims to further examine the association of adiponectin with ZAG.

Outpatients aged 65 years or older with chronic disease followed up in a hospital-based program were recruited for a comprehensive geriatric assessment. We excluded outpatients who were bedridden, residing in a nursing home, with expected life expectancy less than 6 months, or with severe hearing or communication impairment. Plasma ZAG and adiponectin levels were measured. Association between plasma ZAG and adiponectin levels was analyzed by univariate and multivariable linear regression analyses.

A total of 189 older adults were enrolled (91 men and 98 women, mean age: 77.2 ± 6.1 years). Log-transformed plasma ZAG level was 1.82 ± 0.11 μg/mL, and it was significantly higher in men than that in women (1.85 ± 0.12 vs 1.79 ± 0.10 μg/mL, P = .0006). Log-transformed plasma adiponectin level was 1.00 ± 0.26 μg/mL, and there was no significant gender difference (P = .195). Overall, plasma ZAG level positively correlated with plasma adiponectin level in the multivariable linear regression analysis (P = .0085). The gender-specific significance, however, was less clear: this relationship was significant in men (P = .0049) but not in women (P = .2072). To be more specific by frailty phenotype components, plasma adiponectin was positively correlated with weight loss (P = .0454) and weakness (P = .0451).

Both of ZAG and adiponectin may be potential frailty biomarkers. Plasma ZAG is an independent factor of plasma adiponectin, especially in older male adults.