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Leptin, but not adiponectin, is a predictor of recurrent cardiovascular events in men: results from the LIPID study

International Journal of Obesity volume 33, pages 123–130 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To investigate the relationships between plasma leptin and adiponectin levels and recurrent cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke) in men with earlier acute coronary syndromes.

Design, subjects and measurements:

A nested case–control study examined circulating leptin and adiponectin levels in plasma obtained 4–6 years after entry into the Long-Term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischaemic Disease (LIPID) trial. Plasma was assayed from 184 men who suffered recurrent events within 4.4 years after blood collection and 184 matched controls who remained free of further events. The association between cardiovascular events and the explanatory variables was examined by conditional logistic regression analysis.

Results:

Relative risk (RR) increased across increasing leptin quartiles; the highest quartile compared with the lowest quartile was related to the highest risk (P for trend=0.002); the increased risk remained after adjustment for risk factors (P=0.018) or for obesity (P=0.038), but in the final model (adjusted for randomized treatment, other drugs, LIPID risk score, age and body mass index), the risk was attenuated (RR=1.61, 95% CI: 0.72–3.57, P for trend=0.34). Adiponectin did not predict cardiovascular events. Subjects randomly allocated to pravastatin had 6% lower leptin levels (P=0.04) than those allocated to placebo.

Conclusion:

Plasma leptin was a significant and independent predictor of recurrent cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke) in men with earlier acute coronary syndromes.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Karin Hjertkvist for technical assistance and Rhana Pike for assistance with preparing the manuscript. The LIPID trial was funded by Bristol-Myer Squibb, coordinated by the National Health and Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Centre and conducted under the auspices of the National Heart Foundation of Australia. Dr Söderberg is supported by grants from the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation and the Swedish Society of Medicine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Cardiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    S Söderberg

  2. Core Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    D Colquhoun

  3. National Health and Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    A Keech, E H Barnes, C Pollicino & J Simes

  4. Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    J Yallop

  5. Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, and National Heart Foundation of Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    A M Tonkin

  6. Baker Heart Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    P Nestel

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Söderberg, S., Colquhoun, D., Keech, A. et al. Leptin, but not adiponectin, is a predictor of recurrent cardiovascular events in men: results from the LIPID study. Int J Obes 33, 123–130 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.224

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