Resting metabolic rate is an important predictor of serum adiponectin concentrations: potential implications for obesity-related disorders

Background: Little is known about the regulation of adiponectin. Animal studies suggest local regulation by adipocytokines or alterations in energy expenditure, and studies in humans suggest regulation by alcohol intake and ethnicity. Objective: To identify regulators of adiponectin in humans, we measured resting metabolic rate (RMR), serum adiponectin, glucose, insulin, triacylglycerol, alcohol intake, and anthropometric indexes in 457 white patients with overweight or obesity. Design: A cross-sectional design was used, and multivariate regression analysis was performed with adiponectin as the dependent variable and potential predictors as independent variables. Results: Simple linear analyses showed significant associations between adiponectin and sex, with a standardized coefficient of -0.38 (women compared with men) and an explanation of variation of the model (R-2) of 14%; age (0.21; 4%); RMR (-0.52; 27%); fat-free mass (-0.40; 16%); fat mass (-0.16; 2%); visceral fat (-0.24; 6%; computed tomography at L4-L5); fasting triacylglycerol (-0.28; 8%); and insulin resistance (-0.38; 14%; homeostasis model assessment). Adiponectin and alcohol were not associated (-0.04; 0%). Multivariate analyses, which allowed adjustment for confounding, showed that RMR is the most important predictor of adiponectin (-0.31; 29%), followed successively by insulin resistance (-0.16; 31%; model containing RMR and insulin resistance), fat mass (0.20; 34%), age (0.34; 35%), visceral fat (-0.34; 40%), and fasting triacylglycerol (-0.12, 41%). Conclusions: Low resting metabolism (RMR) is associated with high serum adiponectin. We speculate that subjects with low RMR, who are theoretically at greater risk of obesity-related disorders, are especially protected by adiponectin.