Controversial culprit of leptin in obesity hypertension: clues from a case-control study with Chinese newly diagnosed adult early-onset obesity hypertensives

ABSTRACT

Objective

To explore the role of leptin in the onset and development of obesity-associated hypertension.

Subjects and Methods

A case-control study that had finished recruiting 153 subjects divided as four characteristic groups. Leptin serum levels were tested by ELISA in these subjects among these four characteristic Chinese adult physical examination groups. Waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SB), diastolic blood pressure (DB), and other clinical laboratory data were collected. Analyzation of correlations between the research index and differences between groups was done by SPSS.

Results

Serum leptin levels statistically significantly positively correlated with BMI and WC, and negatively with the HDLC (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), even after adjustment for age and gender. There was no significant difference in the serum leptin levels between the normal healthy group (NH group) and the newly diagnosed untreated just-hypertension group (JH group). And the same is between the newly diagnosed untreated obesity-hypertension group (OH group) and the newly diagnosed untreated just-obesity group (JO group). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated BMI and gender as significant independent correlates of serum leptin.

Conclusions

These results show leptin may not be essential but play an additive effect in the development of obesity-associated hypertension. Leptin may only play an additive effect role in the intricate interwoven network of regulators contributing to the development of hypertension in obese patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Leptin
• obesity
• hypertension
• blood pressure
• BMI
• body mass index

Abbreviations

SB, systolic blood pressure; DB, diastolic blood pressure; ALB, Albumin; ALT, Alanine aminotransferase; LDLC, Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; TG, Triglyceride; HDLC, High-density lipoprotein cholesterol; FA, Fructosamine; SCR, serum creatinine; IB, Indirect bilirubin; ALP, Alkaline phosphatase; CB, Conjugated bilirubin; UREA, Urea; Ua, Uric acid; FBG, fasting blood glucose; TC, Total cholesterol; TB, Total bilirubin; TP, Total protein; BMI, body mass index; WC, waist circumference; GGT, Gamma-glutamyltransferase

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81102200/H2610), and “Teacher professional development project” for domestic visiting scholars in colleges and universities of Zhejiang Province in 2020 (043) Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Planning Foundation [19NDJC069YB];”Teacher professional development project” for domestic visiting scholars in Colleges and universities of Zhejiang Province in 2020 [2020043];