Circulating Adiponectin Levels Are Reduced in Nonobese but Insulin-Resistant First-Degree Relatives of Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Adiponectin, one of the most abundant gene transcript proteins in human fat cells, has been shown to improve insulin action and is also suggested to exert antiatherogenic effects. We measured circulating adiponectin levels and risk factors for atherosclerosis in 45 healthy first-degree relatives of type 2 diabetic subjects (FDR) as well as 40 healthy control subjects (CON) without a known family history of diabetes. Insulin sensitivity (S(i))...