ABSTRACT
To evaluate the correlation of fasting serum leptin levels with anthropometric measurements and menopausal status, in women. The study comprised of 80 non-obese women who were divided into 2 groups as pre-menopausal [n=46] and post-menopausal [n=34].Anthropometric measurements i.e. height, weight, waist and hip circumference were measured for all the subjects and the Waist-hip Ratio [WHR] and Body Mass Index [BMI] were calculated from these measurements. A fasting venous blood sample was taken from all the subjects and serum leptin concentrations were determined by ELISA. A comparison of the mean values for BMI and WHR between the two groups showed a non significant difference. Within each group, significant associations were noted between the fasting serum leptin level and values of BMI and WHR. A comparison of the mean serum leptin concentrations between the two groups, showed a highly significant difference [p<0.001]. Our results indicate that in the non-obese women of our population, leptin levels associate with BMI and WHR and together with menopausal status seem to be important determinants of serum leptin levels