Adiponectin levels and cardiovascular disease – symptom or a cause?

Adiponectin is a major adipocyte-secreted protein (adipokine) and is also considered a hormone that links excess adiposity with metabolic processes central to the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1–3]. Circulating levels of adiponectin are inversely proportional to adiposity and low adiponectin levels predict the development of type 2 diabetes and CVD [1,2]. Adiponectin concentration is largely determined by adipocyte size and insulin sensitivity [2,3], but is also secreted by cardiomyocytes [4]. Thus, there is a strong biological precedent for adiponectin as a biomarker of risk for CVD and rationale for the investigation by Sharma et al. [5].