Serum total adiponectin level and the risk of cardiovascular disease in general population: a meta-analysis of 17 prospective studies.

Objective: Many studies have assessed the association between serum adiponectin and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet whether adiponectin is an independent risk factor for CVD remains controversial. We performed a meta-analysis of 17 prospective epidemiologic studies to evaluate this relationship in the general population.

Methods: PubMed and Embase databases were searched through June 2012 to identify studies meeting a priori inclusion criteria, in addition to conducting a secondary reference review.