Deficient serum furin predicts risk of abdominal obesity: findings from a prospective cohort of Chinese adults

Background As a key enzyme of natriuretic peptides system playing an integral role in energy homeostasis, furin may be a potential contributor to obesity. However, the association between furin and obesity has been scarcely studied. This study aims to examine the prospective association between serum furin and abdominal obesity. Methods Waist circumference (WC) was measured twice 4 years apart for a total of 892 Chinese adults free of abdominal obesity at baseline. Abdominal obesity was defined as WC over 85 cm for men and as WC over 80 cm for women. A Cox proportional hazard model was constructed to examine the association of baseline serum furin with incident abdominal obesity. Results After an average 4 years of follow-up, 184 participants developed new abdominal obesity. Baseline serum furin was significantly associated with dynamic body weight during follow-up (beta=-0.593, p=0.003). Participants with a higher level of serum furin at baseline were less likely to develop new abdominal obesity compared with those with a lower level of serum furin (HR=0.81, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.97). Conclusions A lower level of serum furin predicts a higher risk of developing future abdominal obesity in Chinese adults. Furin deficiency may be a contributor to abdominal obesity but still needs further investigations.

Automated summary

This study found a significant association between baseline serum furin and dynamic body weight during follow-up. Participants with higher levels of serum furin at baseline were less likely to develop new abdominal obesity compared to those with lower levels. The results suggest that a lower level of serum furin predicts a higher risk of developing future abdominal obesity in Chinese adults.