Insulin resistance and serum adiponectin levels in Nigerian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a case-control study

OBJECTIVE: The study examined the association between adiponectin levels and markers of Insulin Resistance (IR) in obese and non-obese adults with type 2 diabetes. Insulin Resistance was estimated using HOMA-IR, while group differences were assessed using appropriate statistical tests. Multiple linear regression was applied to evaluate associations between adiponectin and obesity indices while adjusting for HOMA-IR. RESULTS: Mean serum adiponectin did not differ significantly across obese diabetics, non-obese diabetics, and controls (5.9 ± 3.6 µg/mL, 6.4 ± 3.2 µg/mL, and 6.8 ± 3.5 µg/mL, respectively; p = 0.13). Mean HOMA-IR values were comparable among obese diabetics (1.4 ± 2.1), non-obese diabetics (1.3 ± 1.0), and controls (1.1 ± 0.6). In multivariable regression models, serum adiponectin was not independently associated with obesity indices or HOMA-IR (all p > 0.05). Serum adiponectin levels were not significantly different across the study groups, although numerically lower values were observed in obese individuals with diabetes. No significant relationship was found between adiponectin and clinical or biochemical markers of IR. These findings suggest that adiponectin may have limited utility as an isolated marker of IR in Nigerian adults with type 2 diabetes and underscore the need for larger, longitudinal studies to clarify its role.