Skip to main content

Master of Public Health

Race/Ethnicity-Specific Associations between Smoking, Serum Leptin, and Abdominal Fat: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

AUTHORS

Kianoush S , DeFilippis AP , Rodriguez CJ , Rifai MA , Benjamin EJ , Hall ME , Ouyang P , Allison MA , Blaha MJ , . Ethnicity & disease. 2018 10 18; 28(4). 531-538

ABSTRACT

Objective: Smoking is a well-known cardiovascular risk factor associated with weight loss. We aimed to evaluate the association between smoking, serum leptin levels, and abdominal fat.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Data from examinations 2 or 3 (2002-2005) of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Participants: 1,875 asymptomatic, community-dwelling adults.

Main Outcome Measures: We used multivariable linear regression models to assess the race/ethnicity-specific associations between smoking, serum logleptin levels, and computed tomography ascertained abdominal fat. Results were adjusted for demographic and relevantclinical covariates.

Results: Participants (mean age 64.5±9.6 years; 50.6% women; 42.2% former, 11.4% current smokers) were White (40.1%), Hispanic (25.8%), African American (21.1%), and Chinese (13.0%). Overall, median (25th – 75th percentile) leptin levels were significantly lower among current (11.14 ng/mL; 4.13 – 26.18) and former smokers (11.68 ng/mL; 4.72 – 27.57), as compared with never smokers (15.61 ng/mL; 3.05 – 30.12) (P<.001). The difference in median leptin levels between current and never smokers were significantly higher for Hispanics (Δ9.64 ng/mL) and African Americans (Δ8.81 ng/mL) than Whites (Δ2.10 ng/mL) and Chinese (Δ4.70 ng/mL) (P<.001). After adjustment for total abdominal fat, log-leptin levels remained lower for former (-.14 [-.22 – -.07]) and current (-.17 [-.28 – -.05]) smokers, compared with never smokers. Results differed by race/ethnicity, with significantly lower log-leptin levels observed only among current and former African Americans and Hispanic smokers, compared with their never smoker counterparts. (Ps for interaction <.05).

Conclusions: Among smokers, leptin levels significantly vary by race/ethnicity. Former and current smoking are associated with lower leptin levels, although this may be restricted to Hispanics and African Americans.

Tags: