The adipokine hormones leptin, adiponectin, and resistin are produced by adipocytes and have been implicated in the causal pathway of atherosclerosis. Researchers examined the association between adipokine levels and peripheral artery disease (PAD) in a cross-sectional sample of 179 vascular surgery outpatients (97% of whom were men) with PAD recruited from the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
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In an analysis adjusting for body mass index and atherosclerotic risk factors, higher serum leptin was associated with PAD (odds ratio, 2.54; P = .03), whereas high molecular weight adiponectin and resistin were not significantly associated with PAD (J Surg Res. 2019;238:48-56). “Our results indicate that after adjusting for BMI or fat mass, , whereas high molecular weight adiponectin might be inversely associated. Using a more representative, nonveteran sample, further investigations should focus on the potential role of adipokines in the pathophysiology of PAD as well as determine whether leptin levels have clinical utility in predicting PAD outcomes,” wrote Greg J. Zahner, MSc, University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues.
They reported that they had no relevant disclosures.