Total Adiponectin and Risk of Symptomatic Lower Extremity Peripheral Vascular Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived protein that has gained considerable research interest because of its pleiotropic effects on insulin sensitivity, atherosclerosis and inflammation. Lower concentrations of adiponectin have been linked to subsequent risk of coronary heart disease in healthy individuals. Whether similar relationships exist for the development of systemic atherosclerosis, such as peripheral vascular disease (PVD), is uncertain. We investigated the association between total adiponectin and risk of lower extremity PVD.