Dextrose and adiponectin levels in older and younger women
What it found
In older women, a dextrose drink raised blood levels of a protein called adiponectin.
Younger women showed no change after the same drink.
What they found
Studies in people
Adiponectin after dextrose
In older women, blood levels of adiponectin went up after drinking dextrose. In younger women, levels stayed the same.
Adiponectin after fat
Older women saw their adiponectin levels drop after a high-fat drink. Younger women had no change.
Links to other markers
After dextrose, adiponectin levels tracked with certain stress and inflammation markers in the blood. It also tracked negatively with metabolic measures after both drinks.
FGF21 and adiponectin
In older women, higher levels of a protein called FGF21 after the meal were linked to a bigger rise in adiponectin.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that the adiponectin response depends on the type of meal, age, and the FGF21 response.
- They note that differences between age groups are partly explained by metabolic measures and oxidative stress.
How it was done
Higher levels of adiponectin are linked to higher death rates in very old people, even though this protein is usually helpful. Scientists wanted to learn how meals affect adiponectin in older adults.
Researchers gave 20 older women and 22 younger women either a dextrose drink or a high-fat drink. They measured blood levels of adiponectin and another protein before the drinks and at 60, 120, and 240 minutes after.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial only included women, so it cannot show what happens in men.
- It measured short-term blood changes over four hours, not long-term health outcomes.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- German Institute of Human Nutrition, Germany; University of Potsdam, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Germany
The paper
- Title
- Altered Adiponectin Response in Older Women Following Dextrose and High-Fat Dietary Challenges
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Herpich C, Kochlik B, Haß U, Weber D, Grune T, Norman K (2021). Altered Adiponectin Response in Older Women Following Dextrose and High-Fat Dietary Challenges. Molecular nutrition & food research. doi:10.1002/mnfr.202100487PubMed 34288404DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error