Fat Cell Protein Boosts Heart Attack Risk in Elderly (HealthDay)

FRIDAY, Aug. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A protein produced by fatcells may play a pivotal role in increasing an older American's risk for aheart attack even if they are losing weight, a new report says.

Levels of adiponectin increase in the bloodstream when people loseweight and appear to endanger the cardiovascular health of older people,according to the new study to be published in The Journal of ClinicalEndocrinology & Metabolism.

This finding, though, appears odd, because past studies have shown highadiponectin concentration is associated with lower risks of diabetes andcholesterol abnormalities.

"This study is significant because previous findings have beencontradictory, and the present investigation includes the largest numberof heart attacks in an elderly group to date," Dr. Jorge Kizer, anassociate professor of medicine and public health at Weill Cornell MedicalCollege in New York City, said in a news release issued by the journal'spublisher. "Our findings make a persuasive case that adiponectin is infact associated with an increase in heart disease risk in older persons."

The new study looked at a sample of 1,386 adults, aged 65 to 100, fromaround the country. Of these, 604 had heart disease, with those with thehighest adiponectin levels being most likely to suffer a heart attack.

The researchers theorized that higher adiponectin levels may indicateunderlying disease, or even have direct harmful effects especially in theelderly. Previous studies show adiponectin increases energy expenditure inthe central nervous system of mice -- something that could besignificantly harmful if also occurring in older adults by acceleratingthe loss of skeletal muscle.

The findings are consistent, though, with other recent studies tyinghigh adiponectin to mortality in the elderly.

"This study shows that this abundant product of fat cells is a markerand perhaps even a mediator of worsened outcomes in persons aged 65 yearsand older," Kizer said.

More information

The National Institute of Health has more about .