Serum Leptin concentration and some cardiovascular risk factors in response to aerobic exercise and weight loss diet in sedentary women

Introduction: Obesity is a complex disorder characterized by accumulation of excess adipose tissue. Discovery of the hormone Leptin is catalyzed the field of obesity research by demonstrating the existence of an afferent hormonal signal from adipose tissue to the central nervous system for regulation of body fat mass. The aim of this study was to assay serum Leptin concentration and some cardiovascular risk factors in response to aerobic exercise and weight loss diet in sedentary women. Methods: Thirty four women who were members of one of the diet therapy clinic in the west of Tehran- Iran were recruited and divided randomly into 3 groups as following groups: control group (C, n=10), low calorie diet (LCD, n=12) and aerobic exercise group (EX, n=12). Leptin and lipid profiles were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. The probability levels of significance were based on the 2 paired sample t-test and one way ANOVA. Level of significance for all statistical tests were set at P<0.05. Results: Serum Leptin concentrations (ng/dl) showed significant decrease (P<0.05) in LCD (0.15±0.09), EX (0.37±0.06), after 16wk follow-up, and were different among experimental groups (P<0.05). Blood lipids (TG, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C) were decreased within experimental groups, however there weren’t significant changes within and between groups. The ratio of HDL-C/LDL-C increased significantly within and between experimental groups. Conclusion: Serum Leptin concentrations showed significant changes within and between exercise and diet groups. Dietary intervention or exercise intervention was poor achieved improvements in cardiovascular risk factors. A combination of diet and exercise or longer duration of diet and aerobic exercise intervention may be closely related to significant decreases in lipid profiles.