Cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity in relation to serum leptin levels in a multiethnic population: The Miami Community Health Study.

PURPOSE: To examine the correlates of plasma leptin, including fasting insulin, adiposity, and several health habits and behaviors among a nondiabetic multiethnic population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 25-44 year old African-Americans (n = 126), Cuban-Americans (n = 107), and non-Hispanic whites (n = 189) randomly selected from Dade County Florida. Fasting leptin levels were correlated with fasting insulin, percent body fat, smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity within each sex. Multiple linear regression and analysis of covariance were used to estimate the independent determinants of plasma leptin concentration separately among men and women. RESULTS: Stepwise linear regression analyses revealed statistically significant associations of leptin with percent body fat, fasting insulin, cigarette smoking, and physical activity (both inversely) among men (p < 0.05 for each). Among women, percent body fat, fasting insulin (both positively), cigarette smoking, and alcohol use (inversely) were independent predictors of leptin levels explaining over 70% of the variance. Analyses of covariance revealed that women had higher adjusted mean leptin levels than men (13.1 ng/ml vs. 5.9 ng/ml; p < 0.001), whereas no separate effect of ethnicity was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Although adiposity was the strongest correlate of leptin levels, fasting insulin and several health habits and behaviors were independently associated with leptin. After adjustment for these factors, women had significantly higher mean leptin levels than men. The independent association among leptin and insulin levels is intriguing and suggests additional avenues for epidemiologic research.

The relation of fasting insulin to blood pressure in a multiethnic population: the Miami Community Health Study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the associations among fasting insulin, adiposity, waist girth, and blood pressure among a nondiabetic multiethnic population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed among 25-44-year-old African-Americans (n = 159), Cuban-Americans (n = 128), and non-Hispanic whites (n = 207) selected from Dade County, Florida. Fasting insulin levels were correlated with resting blood pressure level within each ethnic group. The separate effects of percentage body fat and waist girth on the association between blood pressure and insulin were analyzed in multiple linear regression and analysis of covariance. RESULTS: Fasting insulin was positively associated with systolic (r = 0.26-0.39; P < 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.19-0.30; P = 0.10 to P < 0.001) among women of all ethnic groups and among non-Hispanic white men (r = 0.27; P < 0.05). Stepwise linear regression analyses revealed statistically significant associations between systolic and diastolic blood pressure and fasting insulin level in non-Hispanic whites independent of other covariates, including sex and percentage body fat (P < 0.001). Fasting insulin was also independently and significantly related to systolic blood pressure among African-Americans (P = 0.02). Among Cuban-Americans, sex and percentage body fat were the main correlates of blood pressure level. Analysis of covariance revealed a relationship between insulin and blood pressure that was independent of waist girth among men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Fasting insulin level and blood pressure were positively associated among African-Americans and non-Hispanic whites. This association was not entirely due to the common association with percentage body fat or waist girth.