Adiponectin and negative mood in healthy premenopausal and postmenopausal women

Abstract

Negative mood and stress are associated with cardiovascular and metabolic disease. There are likely many physiological mechanisms underlying the poor health outcomes. The relationship of psychological states (negative mood, life stress, and stress-responsive hormones) and adiponectin, an adipokine that promotes insulin sensitivity, was investigated in two separate studies. The two groups of participants included 52 healthy, premenopausal women, and 63 postmenopausal women with a range of stress levels. The relationship between adiponectin and psychological state (perceived stress and negative mood) was examined cross-sectionally in both groups of participants, but also prospectively (1 year later) in the group of postmenopausal women. In premenopausal women, negative mood and nocturnal urinary epinephrine were significantly related to adiponectin, independent of BMI. In postmenopausal women, negative mood was not associated with adiponectin cross-sectionally, but negative mood was a significant predictor for lower levels of adiponectin 1 year later, independent of initial adiponectin concentrations and changes in body mass index. Lastly, having a depressive disorder was related to lower adiponectin. As adiponectin levels are associated with insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes mellitus, these findings suggest there may be an adiponectin-mediated pathway explaining in part how negative mood affects metabolic health. Mechanistic studies are needed to explore this potential relationship further.

Reduced serum levels of adiponectin in elderly patients with major depression

“…LLD is associated to higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders (Mast et al, 2008;Adam et al, 2010). On the other hand, stimulation of adiponectin production has a protective role in human coronary arteries (Iacobellis et al, 2005).…”

Weight stigma is stressful. A review of evidence for the Cyclic Obesity/Weight-Based Stigma model

“…It does so directly and by sensitizing the food reward system (Adam & Epel, 2007;Epel et al, 2001;Rudenga, Sinha, & Small, 2012). Humans who are administered glucocorticoids such as cortisol markedly increase their eating (Adam & Epel, 2007;Adam, Schamarek, Springer, Havel, & Epel, 2010), and individuals secreting higher endogenous cortisol levels in response to acute stress in the lab consume more calories subsequently (Epel et al, 2001). Cortisol also sensitizes the reward system, a process governed by interactive connections among stress, the limbic system, basal ganglia, and the prefrontal cortex (Epel et al, 2012).…”

Adiponectin and depression: A meta-analysis

“…Adiponectin is secreted into the bloodstream from adipose tissue only and compared to a number of hormones, it is extremely abundant in the plasma (4). Adiponectin has also been shown to regulate glucose levels and fatty acid breakdown (5).…”