A prospective study of serum adiponectin and regression of metabolic syndrome: The ARIRANG study

• The first study on regression of metabolic syndrome associated with adiponectin.
• Increased adiponectin is a predictor for regression of metabolic syndrome in women.
• Adiponectin may have potential therapeutic applications in metabolic disease.

Increased serum adiponectin levels may play a protective role in metabolic syndrome. However, few prospective studies have examined the effect of serum adiponectin in the improvement of metabolic components in subjects with metabolic syndrome. We investigated the association of serum adiponectin levels with the regression of metabolic syndrome in a population-based longitudinal study. A total of 1308 adults (575 men and 733 women) with metabolic syndrome at baseline were examined and followed. Baseline serum adiponectin concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. During an average of 2.6 years of follow-up, metabolic syndrome had disappeared in 184 men (29.8%) and 235 women (32.1%). In multivariable adjusted models, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for regression of metabolic syndrome comparing the highest to the lowest quartiles of adiponectin levels was 0.93 (0.56–1.53) in men and 2.48 (1.54–4.01) in women. Increased serum adiponectin is a predictor for the regression of metabolic syndrome in women. Adiponectin may have potential therapeutic applications in metabolic disease.