This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Isidori, A. M. Articles by Fabbri, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Isidori, A. M. Articles by Fabbri, A.

Leptin and Aging: Correlation with Endocrine Changes in Male and Female Healthy Adult Populations of Different Body Weights

Catteda di Andrologia, Università La Sapienza (A.M.I., M.C., A.A., A.F.), Italian National Research Centers on Aging (F.S., M.M., G.R.), Cattedra di Endocrinologia, Università di Tor Vergata (C.M., G.F.), 00100 Rome, Italy; and St. Bartholomew’s Hospital (A.F.), London, United Kingdom EC1A 7BE

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Andrea Fabbri, M.D., Ph.D., Cattedra di Andrologia, Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Medica, Università di Roma La Sapienza, 00100 Rome, Italy. E-mail: a.fabbri{at}caspur.it

Aging is associated with changes in plasma levels of several hormones. There are conflicting reports on whether circulating leptin levels change during aging, the possible explanation for which is that alterations in adiposity and body mass index (BMI) also occur. In this study we measured plasma leptin and other hormonal parameters known to influence leptin in 150 men and 320 women of a wide age (18–77 yr) and BMI (18.5–61.1 kg/m²) range. Subjects of each gender were separated into 2 groups of similar BMI, i.e. nonobese (BMI, <30) and obese (BMI, >30), and treated separately. Statistical analysis was performed, treating each group of subjects as a whole population or divided into age groups (<30, 30–50, and >50 yr). BMI-adjusted leptin levels were progressively lower with increasing age in women, with a consistent fall after menopause (-21%; P < 0.001); in men, leptin levels also tended to be lower in subjects more than 50 yr of age, but the reduction was not significant. Multiple linear regression analysis, performed on subjects treated either as a whole population or divided into obese and nonobese, showed that in both genders BMI and age were independent contributors of leptin levels, and there was an inverse relationship between leptin and age in both obese (standardized coefficient ß = -0.25 in women and -0.23 in men; P < 0.01) and nonobese (-0.22 in women and -0.20 in men; P < 0.05) subjects. The correlation of leptin and age with plasma levels of sex and thyroid hormones, GH, insulin-like growth factor I, PRL, and insulin was also evaluated. The variables that correlated with leptin were included in a multiple regression model that included BMI and age. Testosterone in men (-0.43 in nonobese and -0.19 in obese; P < 0.05) and estradiol in women (0.22 in nonobese and 0.24 in obese; P < 0.05) were important contributors to leptin levels; also, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in obese women (-0.16) and sex hormone-binding globulin in obese subjects of both genders (0.15 in women and 0.19 in men) were significant determinants in the model. However, none of the hormonal parameters abolished the negative correlation between leptin and age or the gender difference in leptin levels. In conclusion, our data show that in adult humans of different body weight, serum leptin gradually declines during aging; leptin reduction is higher in women than in men, but it is independent from BMI and other age-related endocrine changes.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. L. Waters, C. R. Qualls, R. I. Dorin, J. D. Veldhuis, and R. N. Baumgartner Altered Growth Hormone, Cortisol, and Leptin Secretion in Healthy Elderly Persons With Sarcopenia and Mixed Body Composition Phenotypes J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., May 1, 2008; 63(5): 536 - 541. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Q. Wu, Y. Zhou, L. Chen, J. Shi, C.-Y. Wang, L. Miao, H. Klocker, I. Park, C. Lee, and J. Zhang Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) epithelial cell line BPH-1 induces aromatase expression in prostatic stromal cells via prostaglandin E2 J. Endocrinol., October 1, 2007; 195(1): 89 - 94. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Alonso, R. Fernandez, M. Moreno, P. Ordonez, F. Diaz, and C. Gonzalez Leptin and Its Receptor Are Controlled by 17{beta}-Estradiol in Peripheral Tissues of Ovariectomized Rats Experimental Biology and Medicine, April 1, 2007; 232(4): 542 - 549. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. R. Gambert and S. Pinkstaff Emerging Epidemic: Diabetes in Older Adults: Demography, Economic Impact, and Pathophysiology Diabetes Spectr, October 1, 2006; 19(4): 221 - 228. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. C. FEWLASS, K. NOBOA, F. X. PI-SUNYER, J. M. JOHNSTON, S. D. YAN, and N. TEZAPSIDIS Obesity-related leptin regulates Alzheimer's A{beta} FASEB J, December 1, 2004; 18(15): 1870 - 1878. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. M. Escobar, S. J. Krajewski, T. Sandoval-Guzman, M. L. Voytko, and N. E. Rance Neuropeptide Y Gene Expression Is Increased in the Hypothalamus of Older Women J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., May 1, 2004; 89(5): 2338 - 2343. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Zamboni, E. Zoico, F. Fantin, M. P. Panourgia, V. Di Francesco, P. Tosoni, B. Solerte, R. Vettor, and O. Bosello Relation Between Leptin and the Metabolic Syndrome in Elderly Women J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., April 1, 2004; 59(4): M396 - M400. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. V. Leon, J. Hernandez-Ceron, D. H. Keisler, and C. G. Gutierrez Plasma concentrations of leptin, insulin-like growth factor-I, and insulin in relation to changes in body condition score in heifers J Anim Sci, February 1, 2004; 82(2): 445 - 451. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Tsurusaki, D. Aoki, H. Kanetake, S. Inoue, M. Muramatsu, Y. Hishikawa, and T. Koji Zone-Dependent Expression of Estrogen Receptors {alpha} and {beta} in Human Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., March 1, 2003; 88(3): 1333 - 1340. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Luboshitzky, A. Aviv, A. Hefetz, P. Herer, Z. Shen-Orr, L. Lavie, and P. Lavie Decreased Pituitary-Gonadal Secretion in Men with Obstructive Sleep Apnea J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., July 1, 2002; 87(7): 3394 - 3398. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. H. Ma, R. Muzumdar, X. M. Yang, I. Gabriely, R. Berger, and N. Barzilai Aging Is Associated With Resistance to Effects of Leptin on Fat Distribution and Insulin Action J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., June 1, 2002; 57(6): B225 - 231. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				I. Gabriely, X. H. Ma, X. M. Yang, L. Rossetti, and N. Barzilai Leptin Resistance During Aging Is Independent of Fat Mass Diabetes, April 1, 2002; 51(4): 1016 - 1021. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J. O'Sullivan, A. Martin, and M. A. Brown Efficient Fat Storage in Premenopausal Women and in Early Pregnancy: A Role for Estrogen J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2001; 86(10): 4951 - 4956. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. A. Lissett, P. E. Clayton, and S. M. Shalet The Acute Leptin Response to GH J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2001; 86(9): 4412 - 4415. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Glasow, W. Kiess, U. Anderegg, A. Berthold, A. Bottner, and J. Kratzsch Expression of Leptin (Ob) and Leptin Receptor (Ob-R) in Human Fibroblasts: Regulation of Leptin Secretion by Insulin J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2001; 86(9): 4472 - 4479. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]