Objective:To survey the relationship between serum adiponectin level and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods:348 newly diagnosed patients of T2DM and 574 controls from Jiangsu area were investigated,and the serum adiponectin levels were determined with ELISA. The information of healthy condition and behavior was gotten by examination and inquiry. Results:The serum adiponectin of T2DM group(6.01±2.43 mg/L)was significantly lower than that of control group(8.59±2.88 mg/L);In stratified analysis,compared with the group with high level of serum adiponectin,the low level groups(less than median level) had more risk of susceptibility to T2DM,and the OR values of age≤50[OR (95% CI):13.80(5.48~34.74)],smoking[10.74(5.58~20.68)]and abdomen obesity[7.27(4.55~11.62)] were top three; By multiple Logistic regression analysis,the T2DM risk for the low level of serum adiponectin,was increased[OR(95%CI):2.22(1.91~2.58)] compared with the higher level of serum adiponctin(graded by quartile range). Conclusion:There was an association between low level of adiponectin and high risk of susceptibility to T2DM.