Hormone Linked to Sugar Control in Diabetics

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - High blood levels of a hormone called adiponectin are associated with improved sugar control in women with diabetes, new research shows.

In addition, high adiponectin levels are associated with high levels of HDL "good" cholesterol and with reduced inflammation. Taken together, these effects could help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Previous reports have suggested that low adiponectin levels may raise the risk of plaque build-up, or "atherosclerosis," in diabetics. However, the complex interplay between adiponectin levels and various metabolic parameters has not been fully investigated.

Dr. Christos S. Mantzoros, from the Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues assessed the association between adiponectin levels and sugar control, cholesterol and inflammation in 925 diabetic women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study.

The researchers' findings appear in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Adiponectin levels increased as HDL cholesterol levels and physical activity levels rose. By contrast, adiponectin levels dropped as body weight, LDL "bad" cholesterol and various inflammatory proteins increased.

Overall, the results suggest that adiponectin has direct beneficial effects in preventing atherosclerosis, the authors conclude.

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, August 2005.