Metabolic disorders are common conditions associated to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) contributing to lung function impairment and mortality. Evidence suggests that systemic inflammation may be the link between COPD and metabolic alterations, but this issue is still poorly investigated.
This review focuses on the adipocyte-derived cytokine adiponectin which has been shown to have a role in the airway patho-physiology and therefore represents an attractive marker to link COPD and metabolic disorders.