High Leptin Levels Linked to Cardiovascular Disease Risk

A study has found that elevated levels of the leptin hormone in obese individuals cause decreased elasticity (distensibility) in blood vessel walls and may be partially responsible for the higher incidences of cardiovascular disease in overweight persons. The study was published September 23, 2002, in the online edition of Circulation.

Researchers from the MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Center (London, UK) studied a group of 249 teenagers, including some who were overweight but otherwise healthy. The investigators performed noninvasive ultrasound tests to examine arteries, measure blood pressure, blood cholesterol, glucose, leptin and the inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP). The average leptin level was 2.8 µmol/L for boys and 10.2 µmol/L for girls.

The data collected revealed a strong inverse relationship between arterial distension and leptin concentrations. A 10% increase in leptin concentration was associated with a 1.3% decrease in arterial distension. This association was independent of fat mass, blood pressure, and C-reactive protein, fasting insulin, or LDL cholesterol concentrations.

"Our study suggests a way in which obesity decreases the elasticity of blood vessels, thus increasing the risk of heart disease,” explained first author Dr. Atul Singhal, deputy director of nutrition at the MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Center. "Preventing even moderate fatness in childhood may have a long-term benefit for the risk of heart disease.”




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