Leptinemia is Associated With Peripheral Artery Disease

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Science
• Endocrinology
• Metabolic Research

Background:

• Adipokines, including leptin, adiponectin, and resistin, are hormones produced by adipocytes.
• These adipokines have been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis.
• The study investigated the relationship between adipokine levels and peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between serum adipokine levels and peripheral artery disease (PAD).
• To test the hypothesis that leptin and resistin are higher, and adiponectin is lower in PAD patients, independent of fat mass.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 179 vascular surgery outpatients.
• PAD defined by ankle-brachial index < 0.9 with symptoms or prior revascularization.
• Adipokine levels measured by ELISA; fat mass assessed by bioelectrical impedance.

Main Results:

• Higher serum leptin levels were significantly associated with PAD (OR 2.54, P=0.03) after adjusting for BMI and risk factors.
• High molecular weight adiponectin showed a non-significant inverse association with PAD (OR 0.60, P=0.09).
• Resistin levels were not associated with PAD.

Conclusions:

• Serum leptin is positively and independently associated with PAD, even after adjusting for BMI or fat mass.
• High molecular weight adiponectin may be inversely associated with PAD.
• Further research with diverse populations is needed to explore adipokines' role in PAD pathophysiology and clinical utility.