Beyond Obesity: Sex-Specific Associations of Vaspin with Metabolic Dysfunction

Background: Vaspin (SERPINA12) is an adipokine implicated in the regulation of insulin sensitivity and metabolic homeostasis. Evidence regarding its association with obesity-related metabolic disturbances remains inconsistent, and potential sex-specific differences are not fully understood. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 81 adults aged 30–60 years (38 women and 43 men), divided into a metabolic syndrome group (MS+) and a control group (MS−). Anthropometric, biochemical, total antioxidant status and blood pressure parameters were assessed, and insulin resistance was estimated using the HOMA-IR index. Results: In MS+ men, serum vaspin concentrations were higher than in MS− men (p = 0.004) and were associated with BMI, waist circumference, body fat percentage, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.05 for all). In multivariable regression analysis (adjusted for age), insulin levels, lean body mass, and diastolic blood pressure explained up to 15.2% of the variability in serum vaspin concentrations in men (p = 0.035), whereas no significant model was observed in women. ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve analysis demonstrated better discriminative performance of serum vaspin for identifying metabolic syndrome in men than in women (AUC: 0.784 ± 0.094 vs. 0.416 ± 0.115, respectively; p = 0.013). Conclusions: Circulating vaspin concentrations are more strongly associated with metabolic disturbances in men than in women These findings suggest that sex-specific regulation of vaspin may contribute to differences in metabolic dysfunction associated with visceral obesity. Overall, these results indicate that vaspin may reflect visceral obesity-related metabolic dysfunction rather than general adiposity. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanistic role of vaspin and to determine whether it has potential as a biomarker of metabolic dysfunction.