Leptin and insulin action in severely obese women.
BACKGROUND
The authors investigated the interrelationships between the components of the metabolic syndrome in severe obesity.


METHODS
In non-diabetic, severely obese women, the degree of obesity (BMI), the insulin sensitivity (from the Homeostatic Model of Assessment, HOMA), the serum leptin concentration and the presence of dyslipidemia and arterial hypertension were evaluated.


RESULTS
In insulin-resistant patients, an overall impaired metabolic status and a greater cardiovascular risk were observed, while serum leptin concentration was higher than in the insulin-sensitive ones. Leptin levels and HOMA data correlated independent of BMI findings, while the presence of dyslipidemia and hypertension was unrelated to the other metabolic syndrome factors.


CONCLUSIONS
In severely obese women, although other factors independently intervene, serum leptin has a role in developing the metabolic syndrome.
Papadia
Francesco
F
Resident, Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche e Metodologie Integrate, Università di Genova, Genova, Italy. francescopapadia@yahoo.com
Marinari
Giuseppe M
GM
Camerini
Giovanni
G
Civalleri
Dario
D
Scopinaro
Nicola
N
Adami
Gian Franco
GF
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000378:metabolism*
D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin