Overweight is associated with lower serum leptin in Peruvian Indian than in Caucasian women: A dissociation contributing to low blood pressure?

We tested whether plasma levels of leptin and insulin are associated with t he lower blood pressure in women of Peruvian Indian heritage compared with Caucasian women. A total of 181 women from Peru and 85 from Sweden, aged 20 to 60 years, with normal plasma glucose levels participated in the study. Measurements of anthropometry, blood pressure, and blood tests were perform ed after overnight fasting. Compared with women from Umea in Sweden, women from Lima, Peru had higher body mass index (BMI) (26.2 +/- 4.9 v24.4 +/- 3. 8 kg/m(2)), waist circumference (85 +/- 11 v79 +/- 10 cm), lower systolic b lood pressure (99 +/- 15 v 114 +/- 14 mm; P <.001) and diastolic blood pres sure (67 +/- 7 v 74 +/- 10 mm; P <.001). In addition, they had a reduction of the ratio of plasma leptin to BMI (0.52 +/- 0.22 v0.61 +/- 0.36; P <.001 ), greater plasma insulin (80 +/- 42 v41 +/- 21 pmol/L), but lower plasma g lucose (4.2 +/- 0.5 v5.1 +/- 0.5 mmol/L; P <.001). Furthermore, the 181 wom en from Lima had higher plasma triglyceride levels (1.5 +/- 0.8 v1.3 +/- 0. 7; P =.039), but lower plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (1 .0 +/- 0.2 v 1.5 +/- 0.4 mmol/L; P <.001) and total plasma cholesterol (5.0 +/- 1.1 v 5.9 +/- 1.3 mmol/L; P <.001) levels. Plasma leptin correlated wi th blood pressure and BMI in both populations (P < .001). In multiple regre ssion analysis, BMI, but not log leptin, emerged as the determinant for sys tolic blood pressure. We concluded that women living in Lima have significa nt lower blood pressure levels in association with elevated plasma insulin concentrations, but tower plasma leptin values adjusted for BMI in comparis on with women from northern Sweden. This may suggest that the concept of me tabolic syndrome is different among women with Peruvian Indian heritage in comparison to a Caucasian population. Copyright (C) 2001 by W.B. Saunders C ompany.