Research
Hormonal
In human postmenopausal women, circulating Retinol-Binding Protein 4 (RBP4) levels do not increase with obesity and are not correlated with insulin resistance, contradicting the rodent model where adipose RBP4 drives systemic insulin resistance.
Current evidence suggests that simply having higher body weight does not automatically lead to higher levels of RBP4 in human women, nor does it directly dictate insulin resistance through this specific pathway. Focus on proven lifestyle interventions for metabolic health rather than targeting this specific protein marker.
GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
In contrast to the animal data, RBP4 mRNA was downregulated in subcutaneous adipose tissue of obese women, and circulating RBP4 concentrations were similar in normal weight, overweight, and obese women (n = 74).
Why this rating
Cross-sectional and interventional studies in a well-defined human cohort (n=74) with rigorous controls.
Source
Retinol-Binding Protein 4 in Human Obesity
Jürgen Janke et al. · Diabetes · 2006
DOI 10.2337/db06-0616
cross_sectional · n=74Cited 353×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- A 5% weight loss in obese women significantly improves the HOMA index of insulin sensitivity, but this improvement occurs without a significant change in circulating RBP4 levels.Good
- In humans, adipose tissue RBP4 expression is positively correlated with GLUT4 expression, whereas in rodents, they are inversely correlated, indicating a fundamental species difference in RBP4 regulation.Good
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →