Selected adipokines and metabolic profiles in normal-weight women with abdominal obesity

INTRODUCTION Abdominal obesity (AO) is a risk factor of insulin resistance and its metabolic consequences.  
OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to assess the associations between adiponectin and visfatin levels, body fat (BF), abdominal and hip fat depots, blood lipid profile, insulin sensitivity surrogates, and AO. 
PATIENTS AND METHODS The study included 145 healthy, premenopausal (aged 20–40 years), normal‑weight women. Using the cut values of 80 cm waist circumference (WC) and 0.8 waist‑to‑hip ratio, we identified 38 and 68 women with AO, respectively. We assessed visfatin, adiponectin, blood lipid, glucose, and insulin levels. The body composition was assessed by dual‑energy X‑ray absorptiometry.
RESULTS Regardless of the criteria used to diagnose AO, we found that women with AO were heavier (P = 0.01), had more deliveries (P = 0.03), and had lower high‑density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (P = 0.01) than women without AO. Serum visfatin and adiponectin levels, triglycerides, low‑density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, glucose, insulin, and indices of insulin sensitivity and resistance were comparable between the groups. AO was associated with higher diastolic blood pressure and higher total, abdominal (android), and hip (gynoid) fat as well as the android/BF ratio (all P <0.01). There was a positive correlation between glucose and WC (r = 0.206; P = 0.02). Adiponectin was positively associated with HDL cholesterol (r = 0.248; P = 0.008) and inversely with the android/BF ratio (r = –0.218; P = 0.009) and android/gynoid ratio (r = –0.201; P = 0.04). Visfatin inversely correlated with total (r = –0.251; P = 0.01) and LDL cholesterol (r = –0.181; P = 0.042).
CONCLUSIONS Normal‑weight women with AO have normal adiponectin and visfatin levels, higher diastolic blood pressure, and lower HDL cholesterol levels. The android/gynoid ratio and android/BF ratio are inversely correlated with adiponectin levels.