Low serum adiponectin levels in childhood and adolescence predict increased intima-media thickness in adulthood. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

Figures & data

Table 1. Mean adiponectin levels (μg/mL) according to study year, age and sex.

		1980		2001		2007
Sex	N^a	Age	Mean ± SD	Age	Mean ± SD	Age	Mean ± SD
Females	118	3	17.4 ± 5.6	24	11.1 ± 4.5	30	11.8 ± 4.8
	158	6	16.5 ± 5.3	27	11.8 ± 4.8	33	12.9 ± 5.1
	150	9	14.4 ± 4.8	30	10.7 ± 4.3	36	12.4 ± 6.2
	194	12	12.7 ± 4.6	33	11.0 ± 4.4	39	12.2 ± 5.5
	188	15	12.0 ± 4.3	36	10.3 ± 4.0	42	12.3 ± 5.7
	164	18	11.9 ± 4.1	39	10.9 ± 4.0	45	12.3 ± 5.2
	972	All	13.9 ± 5.2		10.9 ± 4.3		12.3 ± 5.5
Males	97	3	19.5 ± 6.4	24	8.0 ± 4.0	30	8.1 ± 5.1
	106	6	13.7 ± 4.6	27	7.2 ± 3.2	33	7.8 ± 3.5
	127	9	13.3 ± 4.6	30	7.2 ± 2.9	36	7.6 ± 3.5
	143	12	11.8 ± 4.6	33	7.2 ± 3.2	39	7.5 ± 3.7
	141	15	9.0 ± 3.3	36	6.9 ± 3.2	42	7.1 ± 3.0
	122	18	8.7 ± 3.5	39	7.4 ± 3.4	45	7.9 ± 3.8
	736	All	12.3 ± 5.6		7.3 ± 3.3		7.6 ± 3.7

^a N at baseline in 1980.

Table 2. Multivariable associations between childhood risk factors (in 1980) and adult carotid plaque.

Variable	OR (95% CI)	p value
Male sex	2.18 (1.52–3.13)	<.0001
Age (yrs)	1.11 (1.05–1.17)	.0004
BMI (SD)	1.01 (0.82–1.25)	.93
non-HDL cholesterol (SD)	1.45 (1.23–1.71)	<.0001
Systolic blood pressure (SD)	1.19 (0.97–1.45)	.10
Adiponectin (SD)	0.68 (0.53–0.86)	.001

N = 1708.

Carotid bulb IMT ≥95th percentile and/or plaque, n = 160.

OR: odds ratio.

OR for a 1-SD increase in continuous variables (μg/mL for adiponectin, kg/m² for BMI, mmol/L for non-HDL cholesterol, mmHg for systolic blood pressure) and 1-unit increase in age (years) and sex.

Figure 1. Subjects (%) with carotid IMT ≥95th percentile at the bifurcation (bulb) and/or plaque lesion evident in carotid scans in subgroups according to serum adiponectin level below (low) or above (high) sex and age-specific median in childhood/adulthood.

Table 3. Multivariable associations between childhood risk factors (in 1980) and adult carotid IMT.

Variable	β ± SE	p value
Male sex	24.6 ± 4.1	<.0001
Age (yrs)	3.7 ± 0.6	<.0001
BMI (kg/m^2)	2.7 ± 0.9	.003
non-HDL cholesterol (mmol/L)	7.1 ± 2.4	.003
Systolic blood pressure(mmHg)	1.0 ± 0.2	<.0001
Adiponectin (μg/mL)	−1.1 ± 0.4	<.01

N = 1708.

R²=18.1%.

β = change in IMT (μm) for one unit change in explanatory variable.