Plasma omentin levels are associated with vascular endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes at elevated cardiovascular risk.

AIMS: Omentin is an adipokine that has protective effects against cardiovascular damage. Previous studies showed an inverse relationship between omentin and obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the association between omentin and vascular endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODS: The subjects were 425 patients with T2D and 223 non-diabetic controls. Fasting plasma omentin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the endothelium-dependent, flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) was measured by ultrasonography.

RESULTS: Plasma omentin levels were higher, while FMD was lower in participants with T2D than in non-diabetic controls. No significant correlation was found between plasma omentin levels and FMD in either non-diabetic controls or participants with T2D on multivariate analysis. However, stratified analysis in T2D patients revealed that plasma omentin levels were independently and positively associated with FMD in high cardiovascular risk subgroups according to age (≥ 65 years), estimated glomerular filtration rate (< 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 ), or preexisting cardiovascular diseases but not in low-risk subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS: Plasma omentin levels are independently associated with endothelial function in subgroups of patients with T2D at elevated cardiovascular risk. This study suggests a protective role of omentin against endothelial dysfunction, particularly in high-risk patients.