ADIPOQ and diabetes mellitus: Clinical studies suggest a potential correlation between adiponectin and the onset of diabetes; elevated concentrations of adiponectin are strongly and independently associated with reduced risk of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in apparently healthy individuals [5], whereas lowered circulating levels of adiponectin (<4 μg/mL) are closely associated with increased susceptibility to T2DM [6].