Cardioprotective properties of leptin in patients with excessive body mass

Adipose tissue is producing adipokines that play different roles in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease.

The study aimed to assess the role of selected biomarkers in hypertensive patients with overweight and obesity compared with those with normal body-mass index (BMI).

A total of 62 patients with BMI < 25 kg/m² (median age 54 (46–58) yrs., 57% males) and 51 with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² (median age 53 (48–59) yrs., 37% males) were enrolled. Biochemical parameters, leptin, adiponectin, and resistin; asymmetric dimethylarginine; interleukin 6; and N-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen, were assessed in plasma. The evaluation of hemodynamic parameters was performed using SphygmoCor 9.0 tonometer. Echocardiography was performed using AlokaAlpha 10 Premier device.

Overweight and obese patients had significantly higher concentration of leptin (34 vs 18 ng/ml; p = 0.03), ADMA (0.43 vs 0.38 μmol/l, p = 0.04), and lower concentration of adiponectin (5.3 vs 7 μg/ml, p = 0.01). The only significant difference in tonometry analysis was higher aortic pulse pressure (mmHg) in patients with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² group (34 vs 30; p = 0.03). These patients had also significantly lower peak systolic velocity and early diastolic velocity in tissue Doppler imaging of the right ventricle free wall at the level of the tricuspid annulus compared with controls (p = 0.02 and p = 0.001, respectively). The level of leptin is correlated negatively with the left ventricular mass index (LVMI) (R Spearman = − 0.5; p = 0.002) and PWV (R = − 0.4; p = 0.01) and ADMA with total and LDL cholesterol (R = − 0.42; p = 0.008), and adiponectin is correlated positively with HDL cholesterol (R = 0.67; p = 0.0001).

Leptin concentrations were inversely proportional to LVMI and PWV in patients with BMI < 25 kg/m².

Clinicaltrials.​gov study ID: NCT04175080.