Body mass index and leptin levels in three Chilean aboriginal populations

Citation
F. Perez et al., Body mass index and leptin levels in three Chilean aboriginal populations, REV MED CHI, 128(1), 2000, pp. 45-52
Citations number
38
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine
Journal title
REVISTA MEDICA DE CHILE
ISSN journal
00349887 → ACNP
Volume
128
Issue
1
Year of publication
2000
Pages
45 - 52
Database
ISI
SICI code
0034-9887(200001)128:1<45:BMIALL>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
Background: Although there is a clear relationship between body mass index aid leptin levels, few authors have addressed the possible influence ce of ethnic factors on these levels. Aim: To measure serum leptin in three diffe rent Chilean aboriginal populations. Subjects and methods: Fasting serum le ptin and insulin levels were measured radioimmunoassay in 345 rural mapuche individuals, 247 rural aymara subjects and 162 urban mapuche subjects. A b ody mass index of 27.5 kg/m(2) was used as cutoff point to classify study s ubjects. Results: Among the three ethnic groups, women had serum leptin lev els three times higher than men. Bz all three ethnic groups, there was a si gnificant association between leptin levels, body mass index and gender (r( 2) = 0.32 and 0.5 P <0.001, in rural mapuche, r(2) = 0.32 and 0.5 P <0.001, in aymara and r(2) = 0.24 and 0.49, P <0.001 in urban mapuche populations) . No differences in leptin levels were observed for the interaction between age and insulin. The increments per quartile ii leptin levels were lower a mong mapuche than aymara individuals. Conclusions: Rural mapuche individual s have a high frequency of obesity. However their leptin levels are lower t han those of aymara or urban mapuche populations. The higher leptin levels observed in urban mapuche subjects could be due to environment influences.