Cross-Sectional Association between Blood Pressure, in vivo Insulin Sensitivity and Adiponectin in Overweight Adolescents

AIMS: To examine the cross-sectional relationship between blood pressure (BP) and (1) in vivo insulin sensitivity (IS) and (2) circulating adiponectin levels in overweight adolescents, and to determine if these relationships are driven by adiposity. METHODS: Sixty-five white pubertal overweight adolescents underwent a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp to measure IS. Body composition and abdominal adiposity were determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography scan. BP was measured by an automated sphygmomanometer every 10 min over 1 h, between 06:00 and 07:00 a.m. RESULTS: In vivo IS was not associated with BP after adjustment for adiposity measurements (body mass index, percentage body fat or abdominal adiposity). However, adiponectin was inversely related to systolic BP independent of adiposity. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that in overweight adolescents the relationship between in vivo IS and systolic BP is mediated through adiposity. However, the association between adiponectin and BP is independent of adiposity suggestive of a potential modulatory role of adiponectin in BP regulation.