OBJECTIVE:

Serum adiponectin protects against incident ischemic heart disease (IHD). However, in patients with existing IHD, higher adiponectin levels are paradoxically associated with worse outcomes. We investigated this paradox by evaluating the relationship between adiponectin and cardiovascular events in patients with existing IHD.

METHODS:

We measured total serum adiponectin and cardiac disease severity by stress echocardiography in 981 outpatients with stable IHD who were recruited for the Heart and Soul Study between September 2000 and December 2002. Subsequent heart failure hospitalizations, myocardial infarction, and death were recorded.

RESULTS:

During an average of 7.1 years of follow-up, patients with adiponectin levels in the highest quartile were more likely than those in the lowest quartile to be hospitalized for heart failure (23% vs. 13%; demographics-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-2.56, p=0.03) or die (49% vs. 31%; HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.24-2.26, p<0.008), but not more likely to have a myocardial infarction (12% vs. 17%; HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.38-1.06, p=0.08). The combined outcome of myocardial infarction, heart failure, or death occurred in 56% (136/245) of participants in the highest quartile of adiponectin vs. 38% (94/246) of participants in the lowest quartile (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.31-2.21, p<0.002). Adjustment for left ventricular ejection fraction, diastolic dysfunction, inducible ischemia, C-reactive protein, and NT-proBNP attenuated the association between higher adiponectin and increased risk of subsequent events (HR 1.43, 95% CI 0.98-2.09, p=0.06).

CONCLUSIONS:

Higher concentrations of adiponectin were associated with heart failure and mortality among patients with existing IHD.

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.