Serum leptin levels in the elderly: Relationship with gender and nutritional status

Purpose: Assessment of whether, there is a positive correlation between serum leptin levels, and BMI or/ nutritional status in the elderly as reported for the younger population. Methods: A cross-sectional study, conducted in 62 elderly residents of a nursing home in Israel, and the subjects were divided into three different categories according to BMI. Serum leptin and other biochemical parameters were assessed. Correlation was calculated by the Pearson's correlation coefficients and statistical analysis by paired Student's t test. The relationship of BMI, leptin levels and nutritional status was determined. Results: Significant differences between men and women were obtained for weight, total energy intake, carbohydrates, cholesterol and leptin. Serum leptin levels in women were three times higher than in men and higher compared with to their respective parallel BMI categories in men. A positive correlated scattering between BMI and leptin levels (r=0.65, p< 0.0001) was shown only for the different BMI categories in women. Conclusions: In the elderly, as in the young population, a positive correlation was obtained for BMI and leptin. In addition, significantly higher differences in circulating leptin were found in the women compared with the consistently low levels found in the men. The results suggest that female hormones do not play a significant role in determining serum leptin levels.