ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Considering that prehypertension is associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk, hypoadiponectinemia seems to be a predictor of hypertension. HYPOTHESIS: This study investigated whether adiponectin plasma levels are affected in Brazilian obese prehypertensives compared with those in normotensives and hypertensives. METHODS: The study involved 96 multiethnic obese subjects (mean age = 42.8-11.9 years; BMI = 35.7-7.3 kg/m(2)). Fasting plasma adiponectin and serum insulin were determined by radioimmunoassay. Insulin resistance was estimated by HOMA-IR. Blood pressure was recorded using a calibrated automated sphygmomanometer. RESULTS: Adiponectin concentrations were significantly lower in prehypertensives compared with those in normotensives, but hypertensives exhibited the lowest adiponectin concentrations of all. Regarding the values of HOMA-IR, both prehypertensives and hypertensives were significantly more insulin resistant when compared with normotensives. When normotensives and prehypertensives were classified according to the 50th percentile of adiponectin (< or = vs > 6.5 mg/ml) a logistic regression was performed to estimate the association of this adipokine with hypertension, the lower the plasma adiponectin values, the greater the association. A multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for cardiometabolic factors showed that systolic blood pressure increased by 1.612 mm Hg for 1 microg/mL reduction in adiponectin plasma levels (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our findings have shown that hypoadiponectinemia is associated with prehypertension in obese individuals of multiethnic origin.