Serum adiponectin is associated with family history of diabetes independently of obesity and insulin resistance in healthy Korean men and women

BACKGROUND: Adiponectin has been reported as a new risk factor for the development of diabetes. However, it is not clear whether adiponectin levels are associated with family history of diabetes (FHD). OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to measure the independent association of serum adiponectin with FHD in relation to insulin resistance and obesity. METHODS: In 2006, a cross-sectional study was conducted in which waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and serum adiponectin were measured in 5919 healthy Korean men and women. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the association of serum adiponectin levels with FHD. The population was classified into two groups according to median values for each of the following variables: WC, BMI, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). RESULTS: The positive FHD group had higher HOMA-IR and lower adiponectin levels in both men and women than those without FHD. Adiponectin levels were significantly associated with FHD in men and women respectively, after adjusting for age, BMI, and alcohol consumption (P=0.0123 and 0.0004). The relationship between adiponectin and FHD was similar between the high and low insulin resistance, BMI, and WC groups in male non-smokers and in all Korean women. CONCLUSION: These results confirm that adiponectin levels are associated with FHD. These data also suggest that the association of serum adiponectin with FHD may be independent of obesity and insulin resistance.