Higher levels of adiponectin in American than in Japanese men despite obesity

Levels of adiponectin are inversely associated with obesity levels. We examined the levels of adiponectin in American (n = 98) and Japanese (n = 92) men aged 40 to 49 years. Contrary to our expectations, the American men had higher levels of adiponectin than the Japanese men (13.3 +/- 5.8 vs 7.3 +/- 4.2 mu g/mL) despite higher levels of obesity. Smaller areas of visceral adipose tissue in American than in Japanese men may have resulted in the higher levels of adiponectin. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.