Serum leptin concentration in women: effect of age, obesity, and estrogen administration

• Published in: Fertility and sterility Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 472 - 477
• Main Authors: Castracane, V.Daniel, Kraemer, Robert R, Franken, Mary Ann, Kraemer, Ginger R, Gimpel, Terry
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.09.1998; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: adiposity; Adult; Aged; aging; Aging - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Case-Control Studies; Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal - therapeutic use; estrogen; Estrogen Replacement Therapy; Female; hormone replacement therapy; Humans; Leptin; Linear Models; Male; males; Medical sciences; menopause; Menstrual Cycle - physiology; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; Obesity; Obesity - blood; oral contraceptives; Proteins - metabolism; oral contraceptives; adiposity; estrogen; menopause; Leptin; hormone replacement therapy; aging; males; Human; Obesity; Replacement therapy; Adipose tissue; Menopause; Peptide hormone; Estrogen; Sex; Endocrine secretion; Chemotherapy; Female; Contraceptive; Age
• ISSN: 0015-0282; 1556-5653
• DOI: 10.1016/S0015-0282(98)00187-3

Objective: To compare serum leptin levels in normally cycling reproductive females (20–35 years old) with those in age-matched males, in women who were receiving oral contraceptives, and in older (postmenopausal) women (50–65 years old) who were or who were not receiving hormone replacement therapy. Design: Case-control study. Setting: Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-Amarillo, or the Exercise Physiology Laboratory at Southeastern Louisiana University. Patient(s): Normally cycling women between the ages of 20–35 years and age-matched controls who were receiving oral contraceptives. Postmenopausal women between the ages of 50–65 years who were or who were not receiving hormone replacement therapy. Main Outcome Measure(s): Serum leptin concentration. Result(s): In all groups, serum leptin concentrations were correlated significantly with body mass index. Leptin levels were significantly higher in young women than young men ( P <.001), but no other statistically significant differences were found for the other three comparisons. Conclusion(s): Serum leptin concentrations expressed as a measure of adiposity (body mass index) are greater in young normally cycling females (20–35 years old) than in age-matched males. There is no difference in levels of serum leptin between young and postmenopausal (50–65 years old) women. Estrogen administration, either in young women who are receiving estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives or in postmenopausal women who are receiving hormone replacement therapy, does not effect serum leptin concentrations.