title: Association between plasma leptin and blood pressure in two population-based samples of children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study we examined the association between leptin and blood pressure in a population-based study of Danish and Norwegian children and adolescents. Because of the putative bidirectional relationship between leptin and adiposity we formally tested (i) the mediating effect of body mass index in the association between leptin and blood pressure, and (ii) the mediating effect of leptin in the association between body mass index and blood pressure.
  
  
  METHODS
  To examine these aims we used a cross-sectional random sample of children and adolescents from Denmark and Norway (n = 1993) who had measures of leptin, anthropometry, blood pressure and other personal and biological risk factors for raised blood pressure available.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both body mass index and leptin were positively associated with blood pressure (P < 0.001). The association with leptin was stronger in pre- and early-pubertal children compared to late- and post-pubertal adolescents (P < 0.01 for interaction). The association between leptin and blood pressure was almost completely mediated by body mass index, whereas the association between body mass index and blood pressure was modestly mediated by leptin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leptin was strongly associated with blood pressure, a relationship that to a large extent was mediated by body mass index. Conversely, the association between body mass index and blood pressure was only modestly mediated by leptin. This indicates that the influence of adiposity on blood pressure is also driven by other biological risk factors beyond leptin. Such factors could include insulin, glucose, and triglycerides although residual confounding also could account for the observed relationships.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. agroentved@health.sdu.dk
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grøntved
authors.forename: Jostein
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steene-Johannessen
authors.forename: Iben
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kynde
authors.forename: Paul W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Franks
authors.forename: Jørn Wulf
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Helge
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Froberg
authors.forename: Sigmund A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Anderssen
authors.forename: Lars Bo
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D011159:Population Surveillance
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin