Influence of serum leptin levels on future overweight risk in Korean children

Leptin is an important regulator of energy metabolism. It is considered to be positively related to body adiposity and metabolic disorders in obese adults and children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between baseline circulating leptin, insulin and adiponectin levels and future overweight and metabolic risks in a paediatric population-based cohort.

First-grade students, who entered elementary school at age 7 years in Gwacheon, a Korean city, were enrolled in this cohort study, and followed from 1st grade to 5th grade. Annual physical examinations from 2005 to 2009 were performed. In 2006, the levels of serum glucose, insulin, leptin and adiponectin and lipid profiles were examined. In 2008, the above parameters, except for adiponectin, were measured again in 381 children (202 boys and 179 girls) who participated. In 2006, 10.2% of the children were overweight (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 85th percentile), and after 2 years, an additional 3% became overweight. Compared with insulin and adiponectin, leptin was most highly associated with current and future BMI, and percent body fat. Boys in the highest tertile for initial leptin (T3) showed the highest prevalence of overweight and metabolic risk scores among three leptin tertile groups. Girls showed the same trends as boys. High initial leptin levels could be predictive of greater future BMI and metabolic risk score (p < 0.001).

These results suggest that elevated serum leptin concentrations among the childhood population could be a marker for future BMI and metabolic disorders.