INS and type 2 diabetes mellitus: Moreover, compared to the previous meta-analysis5, our updated meta-analysis included more prospective studies with a tripled sample size; we have also included results from models that have adjusted for a comprehensive panel of T2D biomarkers (lipids and markers of inflammation, glycaemia and insulin sensitivity) to examine their impact on the adiponectin-T2D association, and further performed stratified analysis by these factors to explore potential heterogeneity among subgroups.