Ghrelin as a potential blood pressure reducing factor in obese women during weight loss treatment.
BACKGROUND
In animal models ghrelin reduces cardiac afterload and increases cardiac output via receptors in the cardiovascular system. The aim of our study was to evaluate a potential relationship between weight loss treatment, blood pressure and serum ghrelin concentrations in obese women.


METHODS
A group of 37 obese premenopausal women with no previous history of hypertension (BMI: 36.5 +/- 5 kg/m2) were involved in the study. Blood pressure and serum ghrelin levels were assessed before and after a three-month weight reduction treatment, which consisted of a diet of 1000 kcal/day and physical exercise. Body composition was determined by impedance analysis using Bodystat.


RESULTS
Following weight loss (mean 8.9 +/- 4.8 kg) SBP decreased (120 +/- 13 vs. 115 +/- 14 mm Hg, p = 0.01) and serum ghrelin levels increased significantly (66.9 +/- 13.7 vs. 73.9 +/- 15.4 pg/ml; p = 0.005). There were significant correlations between values for ghrelin levels after weight loss and SBP (r = -0.45, p = 0.02), DBP (r = -0.41, p < 0.05), and between Deltaghrelin levels and DeltaSBP (r = 0.52, p = 0.006), DeltaDBP (r = 0.53, p = 0.005). There was a positive correlation between an increase in ghrelin and a decrease in percentage body fat during weight loss (r = 0.51; p = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
The results seem to provide evidence that weight loss may decrease blood pressure in obese patients via a ghrelin-dependent mechanism.
Mizia-Stec
Katarzyna
K
Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
Zahorska-Markiewicz
Barbara
B
Olszanecka-Glinianowicz
Magdalena
M
Janowska
Joanna
J
Mucha
Zbigniew
Z
Holecki
Michał
M
Gasiora
Zbigniew
Z
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*
D054439:Ghrelin