The plasma leptin/adiponectin ratio predicts first cardiovascular event in men: a prospective nested case-control study

Abstract

Objective: The plasma leptin/adiponectin (L/A) ratio has been proposed as a preferential marker of atherosclerosis susceptibility compared to leptin and adiponectin alone. We determined the extent to which the L/A ratio predicts incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) taking account of clinical risk factors, microalbuminuria, the total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol (TC/HDL-C ratio), triglycerides, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and insulin sensitivity (homeostasis model assessment (HOMA(ir))).

Methods: A community-based prospective nested case-control study was carried out in 103 non-diabetic men who developed a first cardiovascular event (cases) and 106 male control subjects (no clinically manifest CVD and no lipid lowering drug use at baseline; median follow-up of 3.0 and 10.5 years, respectively). Plasma leptin, adiponectin, the leptin/adipnectin (L/A) ratio, as well as hs-CRP, HOMA(ir) and the TC/HDL-C ratio were determined at baseline.

Results: Plasma leptin levels and the L/A ratio were higher in cases vs. controls (p=0.002 for both), but the difference in adiponectin was not significant (p=0.10). Age-adjusted incident CVD was associated with plasma leptin, adiponectin and the L/A ratio (p=0.045 to p=0.001). The relationships of incident CVD with plasma leptin (p=0.19) and adiponectin (p=0.073) lost statistical significance after additional adjustment for smoking, waist circumference, hypertension, microalbuminuria, the TC/HDL-C ratio, hs-CRP and HOMA(ir). In this fully adjusted analysis, the L/A ratio remained predictive of incident CVD (hazard ratio: 1.40 (95% CI 1.05-1.87), p=0.024).

Conclusion: This study suggests that the L/A ratio may be a preferential marker of a first cardiovascular event in men compared to plasma leptin and adiponectin levels alone.