Effects of cigarette smoking and its cessation on body weight and plasma leptin levels in old male

ABSTRACT

To determine whether the weight reducing effect of cigarette smoking is mediated by leptin, fasting leptin levels in 22 male smokers [mean age 62 +/- 1 year] and 22 non-smoker males [mean age 64 +/- 1 year] with an age average of 60-65 years for both groups were measured. Mean body mass indices were 27.61 +/- 0.7 and 27.6 +/- 0.07 kg/m2, respectively. Mean leptin levels were 8.4 +/- 1.3 and 5.2 +/- 0.6 ng/ml, respectively. Smokers had a significantly higher leptin levels than nonsmokers. Fasting leptin levels and BMI were re-measured in 13 smokers who successfully gave up smoking for 6 months. Although body weight and BMI significantly increased after six months of smoking cessation, the mean leptin level did not decline significantly. These findings suggested that cigarette smoking directly elevates circulating plasma leptin concentration and this increase may be one of the mechanisms for lowering body weight of smokers in comparison with nonsmokers. However, the effect of cigarette smoking on body weight does not appear to be directly due to the changes in leptin level as evidenced by an insignificant difference between leptin levels in smokers and ex-smokers. Other factors such as hormones involved in body weight regulation and influencing the weight gain after cessation of cigarette smoking should be investigated