ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to evaluate the relationships between fasting serum leptin, resting metabolic rate (RMR), and body composition in premenopausal Hispanic and non-Hispanic White (White) women. METHODS: Participants were 67 Hispanic and 43 White women who arrived at the laboratory in a fasted state for measurement of RMR by indirect calorimetry, bone mineral content measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and body density measured by hydrodensitometry. Serum leptin levels were determined by EIA. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis revealed that body mass and lean body mass were the best predictors of RMR. Leptin was not a significant predictor of RMR. CONCLUSION: Further research needs to be done to examine the role of leptin on metabolism, especially in ethnic groups predisposed to development of obesity and related disorders.
