Adiponectin,　which　is　secreted　specifically　by　adipose　tissue,　has　been　shown　to　have　anti-atherogenic　and　anti-inflammatory　effects　and　to　improve　insulin　resistance　(IR).　The　aim　of　this　study　was　to　determine　the　correlations　among　adiponectin,　IR　and　atherosclerosis　in　non-diabetic　hypertensive　patients　and　healthy　volunteers.　In　this　case　control　study,　we　collected　complete　demographic　data　from　and　measured　several　laboratory　parameters　in　all　enrolled　subjects.　The　homeostasis　model　of　assessment　for　insulin　resistance　(HOMA-IR)　was　calculated　as　an　insulin　sensitivity　index.　The　atherogenic　index　of　plasma　(AIP),　which　is　calculated　as　log　(triglyceride　(TG)/high-density　lipoprotein　cholesterol　(HDL-C)),　was　a　significant　predictor　of　atherosclerosis　and　was　a　better　predictor　of　atherosclerosis　than　low-density　lipoprotein　cholesterol　(LDL-C).　Plasma　adiponectin,　interleukin　(IL)-6,　monocyte　chemoattractant　protein-1　(MCP-1)　and　matrix　metalloprotein-9　(MMP-9)　concentrations　were　determined　using　enzyme-linked　immunosorbent　assay　(ELISA).　All　data　were　analyzed　using　Statistical　Product　and　Service　Solutions　for　Windows　(SPSS)　13.0　software.　A　total　of　309　participants　were　enrolled　in　the　study.　Hypertensive　patients　with　IR　(n　=　93)　displayed　significantly　higher　HOMA-IR　values　and　AIPs　and　lower　adiponectin　levels　than　hypertensive　patients　without　IR　(n　=　121)　and　healthy　adults　(n　=　95)　(P　＜　0.05).　Furthermore,　circulating　IL-6,　MCP-1　and　MMP-9　concentrations　differed　significantly　between　hypertensive　patients　and　healthy　adults　(P　＜　0.05).　Additionally,　adiponectin　levels　were　found　to　be　inversely　correlated　with　IL-6,　MCP-1,　and　MMP-9　levels;　HOMA-IR　values;　and　AIPs　in　the　clinical　study.　HOMA-IR　values　and　adiponectin　and　creatinine　(Cr)　concentrations　remained　independently　associated　with　AIPs　in　all　participants　after　adjustment　for　confounders　via　multivariate　linear　regression.　Low　adiponectin　levels　are　positively　correlated　with　decreased　insulin　sensitivity,　increased　pro-inflammatory　cytokine　production　and　worsening　atherosclerosis　in　hypertensive　patients　and　healthy　adults.