Relation of serum leptin and adiponectin to cardiovascular risk factors in older adults

OBJECTIVE: To study the serum leptin and adiponectin levels among relatively healthy older people and their association with traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

METHODS: Personal medical history and blood sample were collected from 1515 older people of Guangzhou. Fasting serum glucose, lipids, leptin and adiponectin were measured.

RESULTS: (1) In relatively healthy older adults aged 50 or above, from Guangzhou, the following data were seen: serum leptin levels (x(-) ± s) in men and women were (3.90 ± 2.36) ng/ml and (12.17 ± 2.01) ng/ml respectively; serum adiponectin levels in men and women were (5.33 ± 2.78) mg/L and (7.18 ± 2.58) mg/L respectively. (2) Serum leptin and adiponectin level increased with age. After adjusting for body mass index, the trend for serum leptin level in men (P < 0.001) and adiponectin level in women (P < 0.05) were significantly associated with age. (3) No association was found between cigarette smoking and levels of leptin or adiponectin in both men and women after adjusting for age (P from 0.09 to 0.76). (4) In both men and women, serum leptin and adiponectin levels were positively associated with waist circumference/body mass index, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride (P from 0.04 to < 0.001). In men, leptin was also significantly associated with the increase of diastolic blood pressure and glucose but decreased with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P from 0.03 to 0.02). (5) Decreased adiponectin level was associated with increased waist circumference and triglyceride in both men and women (P from 0.003 to < 0.001) and with the increased body mass index, fasting plasma glucose as well as with decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in men (P from 0.05 to < 0.001) but with increased systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol in women (P from 0.05 to 0.006).

CONCLUSION: In Guangzhou city, among relatively healthy older adults aged 50 or above, their serum leptin and adiponectin levels were lower in men than in women. Serum leptin level in men and adiponectin level in women were significantly associated with the increase of age. Increased leptin and decreased adiponectin levels were associated with increased traditional cardiovascular risk factors.