Relation between plasma leptin and anthropometric and metabolic covariatesin lean and obese diabetic and hyperlipidaemic Asian Northern Indian subjects

This study investigated the relationship of plasma leptin to obesity, diabe tes and hyperlipidaemia in Asian Northern Indian subjects, considered to ha ve a predisposition to abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome, A total of 72 subjects, subcategorised into lean and obese healthy subjects, lean and obese Type 2 diabetic and lean and obese non-diabetic hyperlipidaemic subj ects were recruited, High leptin values were observed in all obese groups, and obese diabetic patients showed the highest levels, In lean and obese di abetic subjects, plasma leptin did not show any correlation to any index of glycaemia, When all lean and all obese subjects were analysed in two separ ate groups, body mass index (BMI), percent total body fat, and body density significantly correlated with the plasma leptin levels (p<0.05), Leptin va lues, when correlated to all variables in all patients taken together; show ed the greatest magnitude of correlation with BMI (r=0.64), percent total b ody fat (r=0.67), and waist circumference (r=0.51). Strong inverse correlat ion was seen with body density (r=-0.67). Levels of serum insulin did not s how any correlation with leptin levels in all subjects combined, and separa tely in various groups. Multiple linear regression analysis performed in ob ese, non-diabetic and normolipidaemic subjects, all Type 2 diabetic and all mon-diabetic hyperlipidaemic subjects separately showed that percent total body fat is the only significant predictor of plasma leptin concentration in all the 3 groups, The present study suggests that plasma leptin has a st rong positive correlation with percent total body fat in Asian Northern Ind ian subjects. Among other components of metabolic syndrome, only abdominal obesity is weakly correlated to serum leptin levels. <(c)> 2001, Editrice K urtis.