Association of novel and classical serum adipokines with insulin resistance, visceral adiposity, and metabolic risk in middle-aged adults: a cross-sectional study

Background. Adipokines, synthesized by adipose tissue, are recognized as essential regulators of metabolic processes, including insulin sensitivity and fat distribution. While traditional adipokines (e.g., adiponectin, leptin, resistin) have been thoroughly investigated, the role of novel adipokines (e.g., chemerin, omentin, visfatin) concerning metabolic risk and visceral adiposity remains unclear, particularly in middle-aged populations. The purpose of the study was to examine the correlations between serum concentrations of classical and novel adipokines and insulin resistance, visceral adiposity, and metabolic risk in middle-aged individuals. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional observational investigation was conducted at Tikrit Teaching Hospital from November 2024 to September 2025. A total of 350 volunteers aged 35 to 60 years were recruited, consisting of 250 individuals with metabolic disorders and 100 healthy controls. We looked at anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, fasting glucose, insulin, lipid profile, and adipokine levels. The visceral adiposity index (VAI) and the lipid storage product (LAP) were used to measure visceral fat. The HOMA-IR model was used to figure out how insulin-resistant someone was. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was utilized to measure adipokine levels. Results. Patients exhibited significantly higher body mass index, waist circumference, fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, triglycerides, and pro-inflammatory adipokines (leptin, resistin, chemerin, visfatin), with lower adiponectin and omentin compared to controls. Adiponectin and omentin negatively correlated with HOMA-IR, VAI, and LAP, while leptin, resistin, chemerin, and visfatin showed positive correlations (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Both traditional and novel adipokines significantly correlate with insulin resistance and visceral adiposity. These biomarkers may function as significant signs of metabolic risk in middle-aged adults and prospective targets for early intervention

• Publication year

  2026

• Venue

  International Journal of Endocrinology

• Publication date

  2026-02-28

• Fields of study

  Not labeled

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.22141/2224-0721.22.1.2026.1679
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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