Hypoadiponectinemia - the role in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension

Abstract

Hypertension is a common disease frequently diagnosed in overweight and obese subjects. Adipose tissue is now recognized to be not only a storage of energy but also an endocrine organ. Among mechanisms of obesity-related hypertension a role of disturbed endocrine adipose tissue activity has been postulated. One of the substances synthesized by adipose tissue, named adipokines, is adiponectin. It has antiatherogenic, antithrombogenic, antidiabetic and cardioprotective properties. A lower plasma concentration of adiponectin has been found in patients with hypertension compared to healthy subjects and a low adiponectinemia in hypertensive patients was related to end-organ demage. A low plasma adiponectin concentration is also an independent risk factor for development of hypertension in previously normotensive subjects. Experimental studies have shown that adiponectinaemia is negatively correlated with sympathetic nervous system activity and positively with nitric oxide synthesis. These mechanisms may participate in the antihypertensive properties of this adipokine. It has been postulated that adiponectin became a new nontraditional risk factor in hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.