Plasma Adiponectin Levels Correlate Positively with an Increasing Number of Components of Frailty in Male Elders

Abstract

ObjectiveFrailty is an important geriatric syndrome. Adiponectin is an important adipokine that regulates energy homeostasis. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between plasma adiponectin levels and frailty in elders.MethodsThe demographic data, body weight, metabolic and inflammatory parameters, including plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), c-reactive protein (CRP) and adiponectin levels, were assessed. The frailty score was assessed using the Fried Frailty Index (FFI).ResultsThe mean (SD) age of the 168 participants [83 (49.4%) men and 85 (50.6%) women] was 76.86 (6.10) years. Judged by the FFI score, 42 (25%) elders were robust, 92 (54.7%) were pre-frail, and 34 (20.3%) were frail. The mean body mass index was 25.19 (3.42) kg/m2. The log-transformed mean (SD) plasma adiponectin (µg/mL) level was 1.00 (0.26). The log-transformed mean plasma adiponectin (µg/mL) levels were 0.93 (0.23) in the robust elders, 1.00 (0.27) in the pre-frail elders, and 1.10 (0.22) in the frail elders, and the differences between these values were statistically significant (p = 0.012). Further analysis showed that plasma adiponectin levels rose progressively with an increasing number of components of frailty in all participants as a whole (p for trend = 0.024) and males (p for trend = 0.037), but not in females (p for trend = 0.223).ConclusionPlasma adiponectin levels correlate positively with an increasing number of components of frailty in male elders. The difference between the sexes suggests that certain sex-specific mechanisms may exist to affect the association between adiponectin levels and frailty.

High plasma adiponectin levels are associated with frailty in a general old‐old population: The Septuagenarians, Octogenarians, Nonagenarians Investigation with Centenarians study

“…Although thus far there have been few data investigating the relationship between adiponectin and frailty, one study in which 168 elderly participants (aged 76.9 years) were investigated showed that high plasma adiponectin levels were associated with frailty in older adults, and were positively correlated with an increasing number of components of frailty in older men . There are two differences in the characteristics of the study participants between that study and the present.…”

“…Although age‐related hormonal changes, such as growth hormone, sex hormones and vitamin D, play important roles in the exacerbation of frailty and sarcopenia, there are few other studies that have referred to the relationship between frailty and adiponectin . It was reported that plasma adiponectin levels were positively correlated with an increasing number of frailty components in older men . In their study, frail patients were significantly older than non‐frail patients, whereas the ages of frail and non‐frail participants in the present study were almost the same: approximately 83 years.…”

“…11 It was reported that plasma adiponectin levels were positively correlated with an increasing number of frailty components in older men. 12 In their study, frail patients were significantly older than non-frail patients, whereas the ages of frail and non-frail participants in the present study were almost the same: approximately 83 years. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate the association between frailty status and plasma adiponectin levels in Japanese older adults in a narrow age range cohort study, the Septuagenarians, Octogenarians, Nonagenarians Investigation with Centenarians (SONIC) study, which is a longitudinal cohort study targeting individuals of older ages (70, 80, 90 and >100 years) of the general Japanese population that includes medical and social variables.…”

“…Although thus far there have been few data investigating the relationship between adiponectin and frailty, one study in which 168 elderly participants (aged 76.9 years) were investigated showed that high plasma adiponectin levels were associated with frailty in older adults, and were positively correlated with an increasing number of components of frailty in older men. 12 There are two differences in the characteristics of the study participants between that study and the present. First, the elderly patients of the previous study were followed up for chronic diseases by their family physicians in a hospital; however, most of the participants in the present study were older individuals living independently.…”

Exercise cessation in active older adults: Effects on inflammatory markers and adiponectin

“…Aging is a deleterious, progressive, intrinsic and universal process that affects functional, physiological, biological and social changes over time . Relevant features of age are metabolic syndrome, sarcopenia, frailty, loss of functionality and inflammation . Prolonged inflammation has harmful health effects and predisposes individuals to a variety of chronic diseases, and it is a strong predictor of disability and mortality …”