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DETERMINANTS OF HYPERLEPTINAEMIA IN AN AFRICAN POPULATION
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Objective: To examine the determinants for elevated plasma leptin concentration in normal
weight (NW), obese (OB), and morbidly obese (MO) individuals in Tanzania.
Design: Cross-sectional epidemiological study, the CARDIAC study.
Setting: Three areas in Tanzania; Dar es Salaam, urban(U), Handeni, rural(R) and Monduli,
pastoralists(P), in August 1998.
Subjects: Five hundred and forty five participants from a random sample of 600 people aged
46-58 years.
Main outcome measures: Plasma leptin concentrations, height, weight, body mass index
(BMI), lipid profiles, haemoglobin Alc (HBA1c), and blood pressure (BP).
Results: Plasma leptin concentrations were higher in women than in men (women; 16.0 ng/
mL, men; 3.1 ng/mL; p<0.0001). Women showed a higher mean body mass index (BMI), total
cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol (HDL-C) than men. In both genders, plasma leptin concentration, total cholesterol
(TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), systolic BP (SBP) and
diastolic BP (DBP) were significantly higher in OB than in NW participants. MO women had
significantly higher leptin concentration, SBP and DBP compared with the other two groups.
In NW men, log leptin concentrations showed a direct correlation with weight, BMI, HBAlc,
TC, LDL-C, TG, SBP and DBP (all p<0.0001 except TG; p<0.001), while among NW women
and OB men, weight and BMI correlated positively with log leptin (all p<0.05). OB women
observed a positive correlation between log leptin and weight, BMI and LDL-C. Regression
analysis indicated that among NW subjects, gender, BMI and TC explained 53.9% of the
variation in log leptin. In OB subjects, gender, BMI and LDL-C explained 51.7% of the
variability in leptin levels. No relationship was found between log leptin and CVD risk factors
among MO subjects.
Conclusion: The most important determinants for hyperleptinaemia in NW participants
were gender, BMI, TC, while in addition to these LDL-C, was an important determinant of
leptin concentration in OB individuals. In MO women, the high leptin concentrations did not
reflect the amount of adipose stores.
Objective: To examine the determinants for elevated plasma leptin concentration in normal
weight (NW), obese (OB), and morbidly obese (MO) individuals in Tanzania.
Design: Cross-sectional epidemiological study, the CARDIAC study.
Setting: Three areas in Tanzania; Dar es Salaam, urban(U), Handeni, rural(R) and Monduli,
pastoralists(P), in August 1998.
Subjects: Five hundred and forty five participants from a random sample of 600 people aged
46-58 years.
Main outcome measures: Plasma leptin concentrations, height, weight, body mass index
(BMI), lipid profiles, haemoglobin Alc (HBA1c), and blood pressure (BP).
Results: Plasma leptin concentrations were higher in women than in men (women; 16.0 ng/
mL, men; 3.1 ng/mL; p<0.0001). Women showed a higher mean body mass index (BMI), total
cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol (HDL-C) than men. In both genders, plasma leptin concentration, total cholesterol
(TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), systolic BP (SBP) and
diastolic BP (DBP) were significantly higher in OB than in NW participants. MO women had
significantly higher leptin concentration, SBP and DBP compared with the other two groups.
In NW men, log leptin concentrations showed a direct correlation with weight, BMI, HBAlc,
TC, LDL-C, TG, SBP and DBP (all p<0.0001 except TG; p<0.001), while among NW women
and OB men, weight and BMI correlated positively with log leptin (all p<0.05). OB women
observed a positive correlation between log leptin and weight, BMI and LDL-C. Regression
analysis indicated that among NW subjects, gender, BMI and TC explained 53.9% of the
variation in log leptin. In OB subjects, gender, BMI and LDL-C explained 51.7% of the
variability in leptin levels. No relationship was found between log leptin and CVD risk factors
among MO subjects.
Conclusion: The most important determinants for hyperleptinaemia in NW participants
were gender, BMI, TC, while in addition to these LDL-C, was an important determinant of
leptin concentration in OB individuals. In MO women, the high leptin concentrations did not
reflect the amount of adipose stores.
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