TY - JOUR
T1 - Leptin
T2 - A significant indicator of total body fat but not of visceral fat and insulin insensitivity in African-American women
AU - Dua, Arnavaz
AU - Hennes, Magda I.
AU - Hoffmann, Raymond G.
AU - Maas, Diana L.
AU - Krakower, Glenn R.
AU - Sonnenberg, Gabriele E.
AU - Kissebah, Ahmed H.
PY - 1996
Y1 - 1996
N2 - The recently cloned adipose tissue hormone leptin has been proposed to be involved in the neuroendocrine regulation of adiposity and its metabolic sequelae. Visceral fat is known to predict reduced insulin sensitivity and associated adverse metabolic profiles. In this study, we report the first evaluation of the relationships between leptin levels and total body fat, visceral fat, and insulin sensitivity in a cohort of premenopausal African- American women. Thirty-four subjects were analyzed for total fat mass and visceral fat by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computerized axial tomography, respectively. Insulin sensitivity (S(I)) was assessed using Bergman's minimal model. Results showed that fasting leptin levels strongly correlated with total body fat mass (r = 0.797, P < 0.001). Correlations of leptin with visceral fat (r = 0.54, P < 0.001) and S(I) (r = -0.419, P = 0.02) were dependent on total body fat. In conclusion, leptin levels reflect total body fat mass, and although visceral fat is known to predict reduced insulin sensitivity independently, leptin did not. Our data thus suggest that diverse mechanisms are responsible for the regulation of total body versus visceral fat distribution, with its metabolic and health risks.
AB - The recently cloned adipose tissue hormone leptin has been proposed to be involved in the neuroendocrine regulation of adiposity and its metabolic sequelae. Visceral fat is known to predict reduced insulin sensitivity and associated adverse metabolic profiles. In this study, we report the first evaluation of the relationships between leptin levels and total body fat, visceral fat, and insulin sensitivity in a cohort of premenopausal African- American women. Thirty-four subjects were analyzed for total fat mass and visceral fat by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computerized axial tomography, respectively. Insulin sensitivity (S(I)) was assessed using Bergman's minimal model. Results showed that fasting leptin levels strongly correlated with total body fat mass (r = 0.797, P < 0.001). Correlations of leptin with visceral fat (r = 0.54, P < 0.001) and S(I) (r = -0.419, P = 0.02) were dependent on total body fat. In conclusion, leptin levels reflect total body fat mass, and although visceral fat is known to predict reduced insulin sensitivity independently, leptin did not. Our data thus suggest that diverse mechanisms are responsible for the regulation of total body versus visceral fat distribution, with its metabolic and health risks.
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U2 - 10.2337/diab.45.11.1635
DO - 10.2337/diab.45.11.1635
M3 - Article
C2 - 8866572
AN - SCOPUS:0029859209
SN - 0012-1797
VL - 45
SP - 1635
EP - 1637
JO - Diabetes
JF - Diabetes
IS - 11
ER -