The association between leptin and left ventricular hypertrophy: a population-based cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
Plasma leptin levels have been shown to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Leptin has been shown to have sympathetic and vascular effects, and may increase cardiovascular risk through increased blood pressure, left ventricular hypertrophy, or atherosclerotic mechanisms. This study examines whether leptin levels, independent of body mass and insulin resistance, are a risk factor for hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy.


METHODS
A population-based, cross-sectional sample of 410 adults from rural Spain was studied. The correlations between plasma leptin levels and left ventricular mass index, sum of wall thicknesses, and blood pressure were calculated. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to adjust for other cardiovascular risk factors.


RESULTS
After adjusting for age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, sex, and insulin resistance, leptin was inversely associated with left ventricular mass index (beta = -0.20, P < 0.01). Leptin was also inversely related to the sum of wall thicknesses; however, this association did not reach statistical significance (beta = -0.12, P = 0.063). Leptin was not statistically associated with blood pressure after adjusting for body mass index.


CONCLUSIONS
The results do not support the hypothesis that leptin increases cardiovascular risk by increasing left ventricular mass index or blood pressure. Other mechanisms, related to atherosclerosis, could explain the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases observed with high leptin levels.
Pladevall
Manel
M
Center for Health Services Research, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA [corrected] mpladev1@hfhs.org
Williams
Keoki
K
Guyer
Heidi
H
Sadurní
Josep
J
Falces
Carles
C
Ribes
Anna
A
Paré
Carles
C
Brotons
Carlos
C
Gabriel
Rafael
R
Serrano-Ríos
Manuel
M
Haffner
Steven
S
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D020738:Leptin