Circulating retinol-binding protein 4, cardiovascular risk factors and prevalent cardiovascular disease in elderly

Abstract Objective Our aim was to examine relations of serum retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) to cardiovascular risk factors, and prevalent metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a large community-based sample of elderly. Methods We evaluated cross-sectional relations of serum RBP4 to cardiovascular risk factors including anthropometrical measures, blood pressure, lipid measures, fasting glucose and insulin, body fat distribution including truncal fat by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and prevalent MetS in one thousand eight 70-year old participants (50% women) of the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS), and in five hundred seven 82-year old men from Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (ULSAM). In ULSAM, we also examined associations with prevalent CVD. Results RBP4 concentrations were positively correlated with serum triglycerides ( r =0.30; P Conclusion In elderly, RBP4 concentrations were associated with MetS and its components in both sexes, and prior cerebrovascular disease in men. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that circulating RBP4 could be a marker of metabolic complications and possibly also atherosclerosis and overt CVD.