Monika Vaľková, Ivica Lazúrová
Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of coronary heart disease and peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD), being
one of the most common causes for disease and death troughout the world. It has been found that adipose tissue is a dynamic
endocrine organ and is connected with the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis as a result of a secretion of a multitude
of pro- and antiatherogenic adipokines such a as adiponektin, leptin, resistin and acute-phase proteins. Adipokines
secrete into the circulation and participate in regulation of a number of chronic diseases affecting insulin senzitivity, glucose
and lipid metabolism, as well as cardiovascular homeostasis. The serum levels of adiponectin, potential mediator
of atherosclerosis, are significantly low in the case of patient with dyslipidemia, visceral obesity and insulin-resistance
as well as in the case of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The low levels of adiponektin were associated with the presence of coronary
heart disease and peripheral arterial disease. The recent evidence suggests that adiponectin has anti-atherogenic
properties with anti-inflammatry effects on the vascular wall. These adipokines also showed significant differences
in patients with PAOD compared to the control group. Controlling the hypoadipnectinemia is an interesting target for
future research in reducing the morbidity and mortality of atherosclerotic PAOD.