title: Plasma ghrelin concentration is a signal of decreased fat free mass in healthy elderly females.
abstract: This study aimed to evaluate whether circulating ghrelin is associated with changes in different body composition parameters over a 12-month prospective study period in healthy older females. On 41 postmenopausal women (mean age: 71.0 +/- 6.5 years), ghrelin, leptin, insulin resistance (IR), and body composition parameters were assessed before and after the study period. Trunk fat: leg fat ratio (+3.6%), fat free mass (FFM) (-4.1%), glucose (+5.8%), and IR (+7.0%) were significantly changed (P < 0.05), whereas no changes in height, body mass, body mass index, fat mass (FM), %FM, trunk fat, leptin, ghrelin, and insulin were observed as a result of study period. At baseline, ghrelin correlated negatively (r > -0.306; P < 0.05) with body mass, FM, %FM, trunk fat, FFM, leptin, insulin, and IR. Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that baseline ghrelin concentration was significantly associated only with the mean change in FFM value over the 12-month study period. In conclusion, basal ghrelin concentration predicted the loss of FFM in healthy elderly females. In addition, these results suggest that circulating ghrelin concentration could be regarded as a signal of decreased FFM in healthy elderly females.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sport Pedagogy and Coaching Sciences, Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. jaakj@ut.ee
authors.forename: Jaak
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jürimäe
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kums
authors.forename: Toivo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jürimäe
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin