Plasma adiponectin in heart failure with and without cachexia: Catabolic signal linking catabolism, symptomatic status, and prognosis

Abstract Background and aims Adiponectin (ADPN) as an adipose tissue hormone contributes to regulation of energy metabolism and body composition and is associated with cardiovascular risk profile parameters. Cardiac cachexia may develop as a result of severe catabolic derangement in chronic heart failure (CHF). We aimed to determinate an abnormal ADPN regulation as a link between catabolic signalling, symptomatic deterioration and poor prognosis. Methods and results We measured plasma ADPN in 111 CHF patients (age 65 ± 11, 90% male, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 36 ± 11%, peak oxygen consumption (peakVO2 ) 18.1 ± 5.7 l/kg*min, body mass index (BMI) 27 ± 4 kg/m2 , all mean ± standard deviation) and 36 healthy controls of similar age and BMI. Body composition was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, insulin sensitivity was evaluated by homoeostasis model assessment, exercise capacity by spiroergometry. Plasma ADPN did not differ between CHF vs. controls (13.5 ± 11.0 vs. 10.5 ± 5.3 mg/l, p > 0.4), but increased stepwise with NYHA functional class (I/II/III: 5.7 ± 1.4/10.7 ± 8.3/19.2 ± 14.0 mg/l, ANOVA p