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.