Negative Correlation of Serum Adiponectin Levels With Carotid–Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity in Patients Treated With Hemodialysis

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum adiponectin levels and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) in hemodialysis (HD) patients. METHOD: Blood samples were obtained from 120 HD patients. cfPWV was measured with a validated tonometry system (SphygmoCor; AtCor Medical, West Ryde, Australia). Serum adiponectin levels were measured using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. RESULTS: By univariate linear analysis of cfPWV in HD patients, we found that diabetes ( r = .281, p = .002), pre-HD body weight ( r = .194, p = .033), post-HD body weight ( r = .192, p = .036), waist circumference ( r =.210, p = .022), and body fat mass ( r = .194, p = .034) were positively correlated, whereas adiponectin level ( r = -.254, p = .005) was negatively correlated with cfPWV in HD patients. Multivariate forward stepwise linear regression analysis showed that diabetes (β = .274, p = .006) and adiponectin level (β = -.215, p = .016) were independent predictors of cfPWV in HD patients. Moreover, post-HD body weight (β = -.274, p = .041), waist circumference (β = -.311, p < .001), logarithmically transformed triglyceride level (log-TG; β = -.186, p = .031), and log-glucose (β = -.225, p = .008) were negatively associated with adiponectin levels in HD patients after multivariable forward stepwise linear regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Among HD patients, serum adiponectin level was inversely associated with cfPWV level, and post-HD body weight, waist circumference, log-TG, and log-glucose were negatively associated with adiponectin level.