Serum adiponectin predicts fracture risk in individuals with type 2 diabetes: the Fukuoka Diabetes Registry

Abstract

Aims/hypothesis: Serum adiponectin has been reported to impact upon fracture risk in the general population. Although type 2 diabetes is associated with increased fracture risk, it is unclear whether serum adiponectin predicts fractures in individuals with type 2 diabetes. The aim of the study was to prospectively investigate the relationship between serum adiponectin and fracture risk in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Methods: In this study, data was obtained from The Fukuoka Diabetes Registry, a multicentre prospective study designed to investigate the influence of modern treatments on the prognoses of patients with diabetes mellitus. We followed 4869 participants with type 2 diabetes (mean age, 65 years), including 1951 postmenopausal women (defined as self-reported amenorrhea for >1 year) and 2754 men, for a median of 5.3 years. The primary outcomes were fractures at any site and major osteoporotic fractures (MOFs). Results: During the follow-up period, fractures at any site occurred in 682 participants, while MOFs occurred in 277 participants. Age-adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of any fracture and MOFs for 1 SD increment in loge-transformed serum adiponectin were 1.27 (1.15, 1.40) and 1.35 (1.17, 1.55) in postmenopausal women and 1.22 (1.08, 1.38) and 1.40 (1.15, 1.71) in men, respectively. HRs (95% CIs) of MOFs for hyperadiponectinaemia (≥ 20 μg/ml) were 1.72 (1.19, 2.50) in postmenopausal women and 2.19 (1.23, 3.90) in men. The per cent attributable risk of hyperadiponectinaemia for MOFs was as high as being age ≥70 years or female sex. Conclusions/interpretation: Higher serum adiponectin levels were significantly associated with an increased risk of fractures at any site and with an increased risk of MOFs in individuals with type 2 diabetes, including postmenopausal women.