Dietary factors associated with adiponectin in Filipino-American women.

Objective: To explore the cross-sectional association of nutrient intake with adiponectin in Filipino-American women who had completed a validated food frequency questionnaire. Design: One hundred and sixty-one Filipino women aged 40 to 82 years were recruited from the University of California, San Diego Filipino Women's Health Study. Dietary information was assessed by a validated Harvard-Willet food frequency questionnaire. Plasma adiponectin was measured by radioimmunoassay. Results: The median adiponectin value of the study population is 5.8 mu g/dL (interquartile range, 3.9-8.4). Women in the highest adiponectin tertile had a lower dietary intake of omega-3-fatty acid compared to those with lower adiponectin levels (P<.005). In linear models controlling for potential confounders, a significant negative correlation was also observed between adiponectin and dietary intake of monounsaturated fat intake (partial r=.12, P=.04), polyunsaturated fat (partial r=.17, P=.02), omega-3-fatty acid (partial r=.19, P=.01), and omega-6 fatty acids (partial r=-.14, P=.4), Conclusion: Our findings suggest that increased nutrient intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is associated with a decreased demand or requirement for adiponectin. More studies are warranted to evaluate the causal relationship between adiponectin and nutrient intake, including the use of specific food items, to confirm any associations. (Ethn Dis. 2011;21(2):190-195)