Leptin:adiponectin ratio is an independent predictor of intima media thickness of the common carotid artery.
OBJECTIVE
The evaluation of the leptin:adiponectin ratio (L:A) has been suggested as an atherosclerotic index in patients with type 2 diabetes and a useful parameter to assess insulin resistance in patients with and without diabetes.


METHODS
We investigated, therefore, the relationship between L:A ratio and intima media thickness (IMT), an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease, in 110 healthy males.


RESULTS
L:A ratio was significantly correlated to body mass index, waist, hip, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, IMT, high-density lipoprotein, apolipoprotein A-I, glucose, and the homeostasis model of insulin resistance-revised. No significant correlation was observed with age, diastolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, ApoB/ApoA-I ratio, insulin, alanine transaminase, gamma-glutamyl-transferase, and resistin. In addition, when the relationship between IMT and adiponectin or leptin alone was analyzed, only leptin plasma levels significantly associated with IMT (r=0.301, P<0.01). In a multiple regression analysis including in the statistical model the risk factors known to affect IMT (age, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, total cholesterol, body mass index, glucose, and L:A ratio), we observed that only age, L:A, and glucose were independent predictors of IMT. As expected, obese subjects (body mass index >30 kg/m(2)) showed a significantly higher L:A ratio compared with nonobese subjects (1.20 versus 0.42, respectively, P<0.001); in addition, subjects with the metabolic syndrome showed a significantly higher L:A ratio level (0.79) compared with subjects without (0.52) (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
We show here that the L:A ratio is a powerful independent predictor of IMT in healthy subjects and correlates with several anthropometric, metabolic, and clinical parameters better than each single adipokine.
Norata
Giuseppe Danilo
GD
Raselli
Sara
S
Grigore
Liliana
L
Garlaschelli
Katia
K
Dozio
Elena
E
Magni
Paolo
P
Catapano
Alberico L
AL
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000473:pathology*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology