Adiponectin found a key biomarker for cardiometabolic risk in postmenopausal women
A new study highlights adiponectin’s strong links to obesity and metabolic health markers, suggesting its potential as an effective tool for predicting and managing cardiometabolic risk in perimenopausal women.
Adiponectin found a key biomarker for cardiometabolic risk in postmenopausal women | Image Credit: © Krakenimages.com - © Krakenimages.com - stock.adobe.com.
Adiponectin may be an effective biomarker for cardiometabolic risk prediction in postmenopausal women, according to a recent study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology.1
Menopause and cardiovascular risk
Menopause has been associated with an increased risk of obesity, leading to a correlated increased risk of cardiovascular disease because of abdominal and visceral fat increase. Body fat mass and distribution may be measured with methods such as hydrostatic weighing and bioelectrical impedance analysis, but investigators highlight the cost and complexity of these options.
Adropin is a significant factor of regulating energy metabolism and endothelial function. Adiponectin, a regulator of glucose metabolism secreted in white adipose tissue, has been shown to protect myocardial cells, defending the cardiovascular system.2
“Understanding the intricate roles of visfatin, adropin, and adiponectin during menopause is crucial for developing targeted interventions aimed at improving cardiometabolic health,” wrote investigators.1 “These adipokines serve as valuable biomarkers for predicting and managing the heightened risk of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders associated with menopause.”
Study design and participant criteria
Investigators conducted a study to evaluate the association between cardiometabolic parameters with circulating visfatin, adropin, and adiponectin levels in perimenopausal women. Female individuals aged 45 to 64 years with normal mammography results and cervical smear results were included in the analysis.
Individuals with clinically confirmed mental disease or metabolic disease, alongside those with current or past thyroid, neoplastic, and mental diseases, were excluded from the analysis. Sociodemographic and health data was obtained from questionnaires and included education, marital status, employment status, place of residence, menopausal status, and stimulant and medication use.
Weight and height were also measured to determine body mass index (BMI). Other anthropometric measures included waist circumference (WC), waist to height ratio (WHtR), relative fat mass (RFM), visceral adiposity index (VAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), body roundness index (BRI), and body shape index (BSI).
After 10 minutes resting in a sitting position, fasting blood was collected form participants by qualified nurses using the Vacutainer system. This allowed assessments of insulin, glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG), and C-reactive protein (CRP).
Cardiometabolic risk was determined from the cardiometabolic index (CMI), using a formula based on TG, HDL, and WHtR values. Participants were categorized into groups based on BMI, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and metabolic syndrome (MetS).
Key findings and correlations
Significantly higher WC, WhTR, percent body fat, and total VAT mass were reported in obese women vs non-obese women. A negative correlation was reported for VAI and LAP with adiponectin levels. LAP was also negatively correlated with CPR, though a weak positive correlation was reported between VAI and CRP.
Additional correlations observed included a positive correlation of circulating visfatin levels with IL-6 and negative correlations of circulating adropin with HbA1C, fasting blood glucose, and insulin. Negative correlations were also found for adiponectin levels with HbA1C, fasting blood glucose, and insulin.
Adiponectin was also positively correlated with HDL, but negatively correlated with HOMA-IR. An association was reported between BMI and adropin levels in patients with a BMI under 30 kg/m2. WC, RFM, WHtR, BSI, and BRI were not linked to circulating adiponectin, visfatin, and adropin levels.
Conclusion
These results indicated adiponectin as the adipokine with the strongest links to obesity and metabolic biomarkers in perimenopausal women. This highlights adiponectin as a key factor in regulating metabolic health.
“Adiponectin may be used or considered as a valuable biomarker for identifying and managing metabolic health in this population,” concluded investigators. “The research findings suggest that adiponectin is not only associated with general adiposity but also with specific markers of metabolic health.”
References
- Cybulska AM, Schneider-Matyka D, Walaszek I, et al. Predictive biomarkers for cardiometabolic risk in postmenopausal women: insights into visfatin, adropin, and adiponectin. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2025;16:1527567. doi:10.3389/fendo.2025.1527567
- Han W, Yang S, Xiao H, et al. Role of adiponectin in cardiovascular diseases related to glucose and lipid metabolism disorders. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23:15627. doi:10.3390/ijms232415627
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