The Paradoxical Link between Adiponectin and Atrial Fibrillation in Korean Adults

Abstract

Objectives: The relationship between adiponectin, a protein produced by fat cells with cardioprotective properties, and atrial fibrillation (AF) has been inconsistent in previous studies. Adiponectin levels and AF risk have been positively associated in some studies, while others have not. To clarify this association, we aimed to investigate the association between adiponectin and AF in Korean adults. Methods: The study included 2,439 participants over 50 years of age from the Dong-gu study. Adiponectin levels were measured in the participants' blood and divided into quartiles. AF was defined with self-report or an electrocardiogram. The association between adiponectin and AF was performed by multivariate Poisson regression analysis after adjusting for covariates. Results: The overall prevalence of AF in the study population was 2.1%. Age and sex-adjusted prevalence of AF among the different adiponectin quartiles were: 1.0% for the first quartile, 1.4% for the second quartile, 2.3% for the third quartile, and 4.3% for the fourth quartile. The prevalence rate ratio (PRR) of AF increased compared to the first quartile. The second quartile had a PRR of 1.53 (95% CI, 0.62-3.73), the third quartile had a PRR of 2.68 (95% CI, 1.06-6.80), and the fourth quartile had the highest PRR of 5.02 (95% CI, 2.14-11.76). Conclusion: Our cross-sectional study found a paradoxical association between high levels of serum adiponectin and an increased risk of prevalent AF. Further research is necessary to establish whether the link between adiponectin and AF is causal and to uncover the underlying biological mechanisms of this relationship.