Elevated serum adiponectin, elevated tumor necrosis factor-α and decreased transthyretin in Japanese elderly women with low grip strength and preserved insulin sensitivity

Abstract

To determine if serum adiponectin levels are associated with low grip strength and/or low muscle mass in the elderly independently of insulin resistance and inflammation. Research design and methods Cross-sectional associations were analyzed by logistic regression between low grip strength and/or low muscle mass and body composition, elevated serum adiponectin (≥20 mg/L), and biomarkers of nutrition status, insulin resistance and inflammation in 176 community-living Japanese elderly women. Sarcopenia was evaluated using the Asian criteria. Results In bivariate analyses, low grip strength (n=71) was positively associated with age, log tumor necrosis factor-α and hyperadiponectinemia (n=34) and inversely with body weight, height, skeletal muscle mass, serum albumin, transthyretin (TTR), fat mass, serum zinc and hemoglobin (all p<0.01). In a fully adjusted model, TTR (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.83 to 0.98, p=0.01) in addition to age (p=0.01), height (p<0.001) and skeletal muscle mass (p=0.018) emerged as independent determinants of low grip strength. Mean waist circumference and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol did not differ between women with and without low grip strength and were within the respective normal range. Although hyperadiponectinemia was a single metabolic correlate of low muscle mass (n=87), low serum cholesterol, albumin and TTR in addition to hyperadiponectinemia were associated with sarcopenia (n=45). Conclusions Hyperadiponectinemia, elevated tumor necrosis factor-alpha and decreased TTR, a biomarker of age-related catabolic states, were found in community-living Japanese elderly women with low grip strength and preserved insulin sensitivity although hyperadiponectinemia was a single correlate of low muscle mass.