Comparative assessment of adiponectin and insulin resistance markers in obese and non-obese individuals in Owerri, Southeastern, Nigeria

Background: The overwhelming rise in obesity is a disturbing public health concern in Nigeria. The superimposition of westernized diet on the existing high glycaemic traditional diet in the population is worrisome. In obese, adipose tissue dysfunction is characterized with dysregulations of adipokines (including adiponectin) and insulin resistance. Owerri, the capital of Imo State, Nigeria and slogan-labelled “entertainment capital of Nigeria” is highly an obesogenic environment with traditional perception of obesity as a mark of wellness and prosperity. The dearth of data on adiponectin and insulin resistance markers in this population is the spur for this research. Aim: To evaluate the variations in adiponectin and insulin resistance markers in the obese and non-obese Nigerians. Methods: A total of 140 individuals (70 obese and 70 non obese) aged between 25 and 60 years participated in this study. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), insulin and adiponectin were analyzed using standard laboratory techniques and insulin resistance indices (HOMA-IR and HOMA-AD) were mathematically determined. Results: Obese subjects had significantly lower adiponectin (p<0.05) but higher FPG (p<0.05) and insulin (p<0.05). Also, significant higher values of HOMA-IR (p<0.05) and HOMA-AD (p<0.05) were observed. Strong inverse associations were found between adiponectin and HOMA-AD (r = -0.699, p<0.01) and BMI correlated positively with all insulin resistance markers {(r = 0.266, p<0.05), HOMA-IR (r = 0.298, p<0.05) and HOMA-AD (r = 0.392, p<0.05)}. Conclusion: The findings of this study shows that the obese individuals may be at risk of future obesity related metabolic complications.