Sugar and metabolism
Adiponectine
A hormone from fat tissue that is linked to insulin sensitivity; the value actually falls with more belly fat.
Everything about this testWhat it measures
Adiponectin is made by fat cells. Unlike most substances from fat tissue, the value is lower the more belly fat someone has. Adiponectin improves the action of insulin in the liver and muscles and slows inflammatory processes in the blood vessel wall. In scientific research, a low value is linked to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease; a high value is not always favorable.
- Link with insulin resistance and too much belly fat
- Risk marker for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in scientific research
High
A higher value is more common in slim people and in women, and rises with weight loss and with some diabetes medicines. A raised value also occurs with reduced kidney function, with heart failure and at an older age; in those situations, a high value is not a sign of health. A raised value causes no symptoms itself.
Low
A low value fits overweight with a lot of belly fat, little physical activity, insulin resistance and an unfavorable lipid profile (high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol). Smoking and, in men, an older age also go together with lower values. A low value causes no symptoms itself and is not a diagnosis; it is a sign of the same risks that also show from weight, waist size, blood sugar and cholesterol.
If your result is abnormal
With an abnormal value, the GP looks at weight, waist size, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol and, if needed, has fasting glucose or HbA1c measured. An abnormal adiponectin on its own does not lead to further testing or treatment.
Reliability
The meaning of an abnormal adiponectin value for one person has been little studied, there are no agreed cut-off values and the measurement is not standardized between laboratories. According to the Dutch GP guideline (NHG) on cardiovascular risk management, the risk of cardiovascular disease is estimated using age, sex, smoking, blood pressure and cholesterol; adiponectin adds little to this for an individual. Diabetes is diagnosed with fasting glucose (the NHG guideline on type 2 diabetes). An abnormal value does not change the advice: it remains focused on weight, exercise, diet and not smoking.
Limitations
- There are no agreed cut-off values; measurement methods differ and results from different laboratories are hard to compare.
- Reduced kidney function and heart failure raise the value, so a high result can look misleadingly favorable.
- The value differs between men and women and changes with age, weight and medicines such as pioglitazone.
How common is this
About half of adults in the Netherlands are overweight, and in 2024 more than 1.1 million people with type 2 diabetes were known to their GP. How often an abnormal adiponectin occurs has not been recorded, because there is no agreed cut-off value.
Who is this useful for
The result is most meaningful in scientific research on groups of people, not for one individual. For questions about overweight, diabetes or the heart and blood vessels, waist size, blood pressure, fasting glucose, HbA1c and cholesterol say more. In people without symptoms, a single value says little.
Downsides and risks
- Without an agreed cut-off value, a 'too low' adiponectin can cause unnecessary worry, while the advice is no different from that for overweight.
- A high value can give false reassurance; with reduced kidney function or heart failure, the value is actually higher.
Sources
Always discuss an abnormal result with your GP. If a result is strongly abnormal, we try to reach you as soon as possible. Read your result yourself as well and contact your GP if in doubt. A test does not make a diagnosis. Read more about risks and results