Betatrophin, also known as ANGPTL8, is secreted by the liver, and its expression is upregulated by nutrition. However, conflicting reports exist on the association of betatrophin with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD). We therefore measured betatrophin in 553 patients undergoing coronary angiography for the evaluation of established or suspected CAD. T2DM patients (n=161) had higher betatrophin than those without T2DM (12.9±19.0 vs. 9.3±9.0 ng/ml; p=0.005). Betatrophin however did not differ significantly between patients with significant CAD (n=347) and those who did not have significant CAD (10.5±13.5 ng/ml vs. 10.2±11.8 ng/ml; p=0.654). Betatrophin was positively correlated with waist circumference (r=0.150, p=0.001), BMI (r=0.142, p=0.001), fasting glucose (r=0.133, p=0.002), HbA1c (r=0.125, p=0.003), serum insulin (r=0.221, p<0.001), the HOMA index of insulin resistance (r=0.226, p<0.001) and the fatty liver index (r=0.231, p<0.001). In multivariate analysis betatrophin proved to be an independent predictor of diabetes, with a standardized adjusted odds ratio of 1.23 [95% CI 1.01-1.51], p=0.043. We conclude that betatrophin is associated with T2DM and markers of insulin resistance.
A. Leiherer: None. A. Muendlein: None. K. Geiger: None. C.H. Saely: None. E. Brandtner: None. J. Ebner: None. B. Larcher: None. A. Mader: None. P. Fraunberger: None. H. Drexel: None.