Associations of adiponectin and leptin with brain natriuretic peptide in African Americans: the Jackson Heart Study

Background Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is elevated in decompensated systolic and diastolic heart failure. The plasma levels of adipokines, such as adiponectin and leptin, may provide evidence for mechanistic differences in BNP concentrations. African-American-specific associations are limited in the literature. The objective of this study was to evaluate the associations of adiponectin and leptin with BNP among African Americans. Methods Linear and logistic regressions were used to test the associations between adiponectin, leptin, and plasma BNP in 3738 participants of the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), a single-site prospective cohort study of African Americans in Jackson, Mississippi. Results A direct relationship of adiponectin was observed in multiple multivariate-adjusted linear models: in men ( β = 0.41–0.47), and in women ( β = 0.32–0.38). Those in the highest quartile of adiponectin expression were twice as likely to have elevated BNP levels after adjustment [odds ratio 2.66 (95% confidence interval, 1.66–4.34)]. An inverse relationship of leptin with BNP was observed ( β = −0.15) but attenuated after adjustment for aldosterone, renin, and adiponectin. Conclusions Different linear associations of adiponectin and leptin with BNP were observed. Odds of elevated adiponectin were observed with elevated BNP in multivariate-adjusted models. This paradoxical relationship of adiponectin and plasma BNP is possibly explained through adiponectin resistance.