Research
Hormonal
Adiponectin levels are reduced in obesity and are associated with insulin resistance, while higher levels of adiponectin (particularly HMW forms) correlate with improved insulin sensitivity and fatty acid oxidation.
Adiponectin is an 'anti-diabetic' hormone produced by fat cells. Unlike leptin, its levels drop when you are obese. Higher levels, especially the high-molecular-weight form, are linked to better insulin sensitivity and fat burning. Weight loss and exercise can help restore these levels.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
Unlike leptin, adiponectin is reduced in obesity, increased in response to fasting, and decreased by refeeding... The levels of HMW adiponectin are highly predictive of insulin sensitivity.
Why this rating
Comprehensive review of adiponectin biology and clinical correlations.
Source
Adipokines and the Peripheral and Neural Control of Energy Balance
Rexford S. Ahima et al. · Molecular Endocrinology · 2008
DOI 10.1210/me.2007-0529
narrative_reviewCited 310×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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