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Title: Pioglitazone Treatment Increases Concentrations of Adiponectin in Plasma: Presented at AHA

"Pioglitazone Treatment Increases Concentrations of Adiponectin in Plasma: Presented at AHA"

By Ed Susman CHICAGO, IL -- November 16, 2006 -- Treatment with pioglitazone appears to increase levels of adiponectin in plasma and to decrease the lipid-necrotic component, which may lead to stabilization of coronary plaques, researchers said here at the American Heart Association (AHA) 2006 Scientific Sessions. In a 6-month treatment period, the necrotic-core components of plaques decreased when patients were taking the anti-diabetes drug pioglitazone (Actos), said study investigator Daisuke Ogasawara, MD, cardiology researcher, Kobe University Graduate Medical School, Kobe, Japan. "Recent studies suggest the effectiveness of pioglitazone in preventing the cardiovascular events," Dr. Ogasawara said during his poster presentation on November 15[^th. "But whether pioglitazone is effective in stabilizing the coronary plaque was in question when we began the trial."

To determine if treatment with pioglitazone changes coronary plaque components in relation to other blood profile changes, Dr. Ogasawara and colleagues enrolled 26 patients in the study and divided them into 2 groups -- 1 group receiving pioglitazone while the other group did not receive did not.

Results showed there was a 6.9 mcg/mL mean increase in adiponectin levels in the pioglitazone group while in non-pioglitazone patients it decreased by 0.42 mcg/mL. Dr. Ogasawara said that difference was statistically significant at the P = .0006 level.

Patients' arteries were viewed with intravenous ultrasound. The patients in the study had diabetes and stable coronary artery disease.

The analysis found that overall there was no significant difference in plaque volume in the 2 groups of patients. The researchers also determined that there were no differences in levels of C-reactive protein from baseline through follow-up after 6 months.

"There was an inverse correlation between the changes in adiponectin level and in the necrotic-core components," Dr. Ogasawara said. He said the difference was highly statistically significant, achieving a P < .0001 level.

[Presentation title: Pioglitazone Increases Plasma Adiponectin Concentration and Decreases Coronary Plaque Necrotic Core: Intravascular Ultrasound Virtual Histology Study. Abstract 3664]

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