title: A study in the relationships between leptin, insulin, and body fat in Asian subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship of leptin concentrations with indices of obesity, fasting insulin, insulin resistance and lipid profiles (total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL)- cholesterol and triglyceride) in an Asian cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 133 healthy volunteers were enrolled (64 female: age: 25-61 y, body mass index (BMI): 18.7-45.1 kg/m2 and 69 male: age: 25-61 y, BMI: 19.3-35.0 kg/m2).
  
  
  METHODS
  Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, blood pressure, lean body mass (by bioelectric impedence analysis (BIA)), plasma leptin and lipid profiles were taken after a 10 h fast.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Percentage of body fat measured by bioelectric impedance was the strongest determinant of plasma leptin (r = 0.844, P < 0.0001). Females had higher leptin concentrations than males for the same fat mass. In a multiple linear regression model, body fat percentage, (percentage body fat* gender), hip circumference and fasting insulin were significant determinants of leptin concentration (r = 0.882, P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leptin concentration correlated closely with percentage body fat in Asian subjects. Hip circumference as a corollary for peripheral obesity, was better associated with leptin than waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Distribution of fat in females tended to be peripheral and may partly explain the gender difference. Fasting insulin level and central obesity were correlated with HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride and blood pressure, while fasting leptin had little correlation with these metabolic parameters. Therefore, insulin resistance was a better guide to cardiovascular risk assessment than plasma leptin.
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors: S C
authors: SC
authors: Ho
authors: E S
authors: ES
authors: Tai
authors: P H
authors: PH
authors: Eng
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ramli
authors: C E
authors: CE
authors: Tan
authors: A C
authors: AC
authors: Fok
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001823:Body Composition; D001824:Body Constitution; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D020738:Leptin; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012846:Singapore
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D008055:Lipids; D011506:Proteins