Relationship between ghrelin and the metabolic syndrome in the elderly: a longitudinal population-based study.
BACKGROUND
Ghrelin regulates energy homeostasis and may contribute to the development of the metabolic syndrome (MS) in the elderly.


OBJECTIVE
To study the relationship between ghrelin and the MS, IGF-I and life style factors over a 2-year follow-up.


METHODS
Longitudinal population-based study, starting from 2002; 2 years follow-up.


METHODS
Three hundred and thirteen (153 men/160 women) individuals living independently older than 70 years.


RESULTS
MS was found in 54.9% of men and 61% of women. In the 229 subjects available at follow-up, ghrelin was higher in men than in women at basal (P = 0.002) and 2-year follow-up (P = 0.004). Ghrelin decreased over time in both genders (P < 0.01). Ghrelin was lower in individuals showing MS compared to non-MS (P = 0.08), but this difference was more evident at 2-year follow-up (P = 0.016), mostly due to men with MS (P = 0.002) and even after adjustment for BMI, gender and age. Individuals with MS had an OR of 1.67 (95% CI: 1.0-2.78) for low ghrelin (< first tertile); when adjusting by BMI, gender and age, only high triglycerides with OR 1.8 (1.0-3.3), remained statistically significant among the MS components. IGF-I showed a positive correlation with ghrelin only in individuals without MS (r(s) 0.403, P < 0.001) with no gender differences; this relationship was not found in MS (r(s) 0.120, P = 0.129). A positive association of ghrelin was found with academic level, alcohol consumption and smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
Ghrelin is higher in old men in comparison to women and decreases over time with a steeper decline in subjects with MS; moreover, in these subjects ghrelin/IGF-I correlation is lost.
Research Unit, CIBEREHD, Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Mataró, Barcelona, Spain.
Mateu
M
Serra-Prat
Sergio Rueda
SR
Alfaro
Elisabet
E
Palomera
Roser
R
Casamitjana
Xavier
X
Buquet
Cristián
C
Fernández-Fernández
Manuel
M
Puig-Domingo
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001069:Appetite Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008019:Life Style; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D054439:Ghrelin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I