Relationships between adiponectin, leptin, and blood lipids in physically active postmenopausal females

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible relationships between adiponectin and leptin with blood lipids (CHOL, HDL-C, LDL-C, and TG) in physically active postmenopausal women. One hundred and thirty-four physically active practicing gymnastics (2-3 times per week) women between the ages of 51 to 85 years participated in this cross-sectional study. Body height, body mass, waist-to-hip circumference ratio (WHR), and BMI were used as anthropometrical parameters. Body composition parameters (fat%, fat mass, fat free mass) were measured by DXA. The fasting adiponectin, leptin, CHOL, HDL-C, LDL-C, and TG were measured. From the anthropometrical and body composition parameters, only WHR correlated significantly with adiponectin (r = -0.306). In addition, adiponectin correlated with TG (r = -0.277) and leptin (r = -0.381). Leptin was positively related to body mass (r = 0.261), and BMI (r = 0.274) from anthropometrical parameters and body fat% (r = 0.288) and fat mass (r = 0.298) from body composition variables. No relationships emerged between leptin and blood lipids. We found that there are some significant relationships between adiponectin, leptin and anthropometrical and body composition parameters in physically active postmenopausal females. From blood lipids, only TG correlated significantly with adiponectin.