Zhang J, Teng F, Pan L, et al. - In Chinese adults with obesity, circulating adipsin levels were identified as a potential marker of risks of increased carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis.

• This study involved a total of 483 obese adults (aged 40 years or older).

• Lower levels of circulating adipsin were detected in persons with increased CIMT and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis vs controls.

• A significantly higher prevalence of asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis was observed in those with lower levels of serum adipsin vs those with higher values (42.5% vs 36.7%).

• Post-adjustments, 1.94 times more chance of having increased CIMT and 2.91 times more probability to have asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis was noted in those in the lowest quartile of serum adipsin vs those in the highest quartile.

• However, such links with circulating adipsin were not observed for atherosclerotic plaque.