Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 37 1 2008 03 15 35 41 E Nasseri M Djalali SA Keshavarz M Hosseini AR Dorosty M Chamari 2015 10 03 Background: Adiponectin is an anti-inflammatory and antiatherogenic protein that has a protective effect against athero­sclero­sis and diabetes. It is exclusively secreted by adipose tissue. Serum adiponectin levels are inversely associated with pa­rame­ters of overall adiposity including body mass index (BMI), fat mass, and percentage of body fat. Methods: In a cross-sectional study of 76 women we sought to evaluate if adiponectin is associated primarily with central adi­pos­ity rather than overall adiposity. We also assessed adiponectin changes after weight loss in a subgroup of 42 obese sub­jects. Results: Waist to hip ratio (WHR), an index of central obesity, was the only variable independently associated to adi­ponectin (Beta= 0.25, P< 0.05). A mean increase of 8.2±24.2% in adiponectin concentration was observed in response to the dietary restriction and weight loss (P= 0.03). Our findings provide evidence for association of serum adiponectin level with visceral fat, represented by waist to hip ratio index. Conclusion: Moderate weight loss result in significant improvements in adiponectin concentration and provide another bio­logi­cal explanation for the beneficial effect of body weight loss on reducing cardiovascular and diabetes risks in obese pa­tients. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/2070 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/2070/2051