Hypoadiponectinemia as a risk factor for atherosclerosis?

Hypoadiponectinemia as a Risk Factor for Atherosclerosis? To the Editor: We want to comment on and complete the cited references of the article by Iglseder et al1 that demonstrated an independent negative association between adiponectin levels and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). With reference to this, our group also found an inverse and independent correlation between adiponectin and carotid IMT.2 Our data were derived from 240 subjects of the Styrian Juvenile Obesity Study (STYJOBS).2 However, we also have to note that not all studies in this field report about a significant negative association between adiponectin and carotid IMT.3 Thus, the confirmation of our results by Iglseder et al underlines the close association between low adiponectin and early atherosclerosis. Further, the notion of a protective function of adiponectin in coronary artery disease (CAD) is also supported by longitudinal studies that implicated an association between hypoadiponectinemia and CAD.4,5 Controversial to this, 2 recent studies failed to observe a significant prospective association between low adiponectin levels and the develpoment of CAD.6,7 Taken together, the diagnostic or even therapeutic potential of adiponectin in cardiovascular disease remains to be clarified.8