Plasma leptin is associated with insulin resistance independent of age, body mass index, fat mass, lipids, and pubertal development in nondiabetic adolescents

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:The rising epidemic worldwide in overweight and obese children requires urgent attention. Leptin has been found to be associated with body weight control and possibly affects insulin sensitivity. Since insulin resistance is associated with obesity in adults and possibly in adolescents, we set out to investigate the association of plasma leptin level with various anthropometric indices, body fat mass (FM), lipids, and insulin resistance (IR) index in nondiabetic adolescents. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study from three high schools in Taipei City in Taiwan. SUBJECTS: A total of 402 nondiabetic subjects (162 boys and 240 girls; age range, 10-19 y; mean age, 15.871.9 y, and mean body mass index (BMI), 24.874.6 kg/m 2 ) were recruited. MEASUREMENTS: The fasting plasma leptin, plasma glucose, insulin, lipids, and anthropometric indices including height, weight, waist (WC) and hip circumferences, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were examined. Total body FM and percentage body fat (FM%) were obtained from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The homeostasis model was applied to estimate the degree of IR. RESULTS: The plasma leptin levels were significantly higher in girls (17.45710.13 ng/ml) than boys (8.8176.71 ng/ml, Po0.001). The plasma leptin levels were positively correlated to BMI, WC, WHR, FM, FM%, and triglycerides (TG). The IR index was positively correlated to BMI, WC, WHR, FM, FM%, TG, and leptin. Using the multivariate linear regression models, we found that plasma leptin remains significantly associated with IR index even after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, FM, WC, Tanner stage, and TG. CONCLUSION: Plasma leptin was associated with IR index independent of age, gender, BMI, FM, WC, Tanner stage, and TG. Plasma leptin levels in adolescents could be a predictor for the development of the metabolic syndrome disorders and cardiovascular diseases.

Visceral Fat Accumulation in Japanese High School Students and Related Atherosclerotic Risk Factors

“…In obesity, the plasma leptin concentration is elevated and its production depends on the amount of adipose tissue 18) . In general, the plasma leptin level is higher in women than in men 19) and here we found that it was higher in girls than in boys.…”

Composição corpórea, alterações bioquímicas e clínicas de adolescentes com excesso de adiposidade

“…In vitro studies have shown that increased levels of leptin can inhibit the secretion of insulin 31 . In a study on insulin resistance and leptin, conducted with 402 adolescents, and Huang et al 31 found that leptin was positively correlated with central fat distribution and total body fat, with levels of triglycerides and HOMA. The same authors claim that leptin levels have been associated with decreased arterial distensibility, and leptin potent predictor of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome in adolescents.…”

Correlation of Leptinemia with Components of Metabolic Syndrome in Youths: Influence of Obesity, Gender and Stage of Puberty

“…Previous studies have also reported correlation of leptin levels with BMI, BP, WC, TG, IR and UA [17,34,43] . Hyperleptnemia may indicate leptin resistance [33] as well as IR [44] , and it could be a predictor for the development of MetS and CV disease in adulthood. Thus, measurement of leptin levels may be helpful in identifying youths at risk of developing these disorders.…”