Introduction: Leptin circulating levels increase with weight gain and decrease with weight loss. The amount of leptin circulating in the body is proportional to an individual's fat. We investigated the association of leptin and remnant cholesterol in normal-weight, overweight and obese participants in southeast Nigeria.
Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional random study. A total of 90 healthy obese, overweight, and normal-weight participants who met the inclusion criteria were randomly enrolled in the study. They were grouped using their body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2 (average weight), 25 to 29.9 kg/m2 (overweight), and ≥30 kg/m2 (obese). The measured parameters were analyzed using standard methods.
Results: Our results showed that there was a progressive increase of remnant cholesterol among the group, but there was no statistical difference (p>0.05) in the mean calculated remnant cholesterol (mmol/l) between the obese (0.72±0.4mmol/l), overweight (0.68±0.46), and average weight (0.50±0.28mmol/l) participants. There was a significant difference in the mean level of Leptin (ug/l) of the obese participants compared to regular weight participants (0.63±0.29 vs. 0.25±0.26, 0.001) and overweight when compared to average weight (0.51±0.27 vs. 0.25±0.26, 0.003). Remnant cholesterol did not correlate with body mass index (BMI) in those that are obese, overweight, or normal weight. Leptin correlated positively with BMI but inversely with Remnant cholesterol.
Conclusion: The result obtained from this study suggests that leptin has a positive relationship with BMI, and calculated Remnant cholesterol does not appear to have a direct relationship with obesity. There was no association between leptin and remnant cholesterol among the groups.
Key words: Leptin, Remnant Cholesterol, Obesity, BMI, Cardiovascular disease, Lipid Profile
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