Total Body Obesity Research Articles

Migraine, obesity and body fat distribution \u2013 a population-based study

BackgroundObesity has been linked to an increased prevalence of migraine, and to increased migraine attack frequency, but several questions are left unanswered by previous studies. We examined the relationship between obesity and headache in a large, population-based study where we could take into account body fat distribution, migraine subtypes and tension-type headache.MethodsThe third population-based Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT3) included validated headache questionnaires and objective anthropometric measurements. Using a cross-sectional design, our sample consisted of 18,191 women and 14,985 men, aged 19 to 96 years. Of these 4290 (12.9%) had migraine, 4447 (13.4%) had frequent tension-type headache (TTH), and 24,439 were headache-free controls. A total of 5049 individuals with unclassified headache were excluded from the analyses. Using logistic regression, we modeled the association between obesity and headache prevalence, adjusting for relevant confounders.ResultsBoth total body obesity (TBO) and abdominal obesity (AO) were associated with a higher prevalence of migraine when compared to headache-free controls (OR 1.45 95% CI 1.32–1.59 and OR 1.29 95% CI 1.18–1.41, respectively), in particular for individuals < 50 years of age (OR 1.74 95% CI 1.54–1.98 and OR 1.89 95% CI 1.69–2.11). Similar results were seen for migraine with and without aura. Similar Overall, a weaker associations were as observed between obesity and TTH. There was a dose-response relationship between obesity categories and increased headache frequency in subjects with migraine. TBO was associated with migraine prevalence and attack frequency independent of AO.ConclusionBoth TBO and AO were associated with migraine prevalence and attack frequency. This association was largely limited to individuals < 50 years of age. TBO, rather than AO, may be a better measure of obesity in relation to migraine.

SUN-262 Total and Central Adiposity Is Associated with Earlier Puberty in Chilean Boys

Background. In recent years worldwide, there has been an increase in childhood obesity together with an advance in the age at which puberty begins in girls; however, in boys the evidence has been controversial (i.e. Crocker MK JCEM 2014, Lee JM pediatrics 2016). Objective. To determine whether total and central body obesity in pre-pubertal children evaluated since age 4 is associated with precocious puberty through the measurement of testicular volume. Methods. We included 527 boys for the Growth and Obesity Cohort Study longitudinal cohort. The anthropometric measures (weight, height, waist circumference) were registered and Body Mass index SDS calculated. Trained personnel valuated the onset of puberty through a Prader Orchidometer and precocious puberty was defined as reaching a testicular volume greater than 3 cc before 9 years of age in any of the testicles. The association between obesity (total body adiposity and central body adiposity) and precocious puberty, were analyzed through logistic regression models and the Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated. Results. There was an increase in BMI SDS and prevalence of total obesity and central obesity through the years :at 6 - 7 yr, 0.99±1.32 SDS and 22.0% & 11.8 % respectively, and at Tanner 2 ,age 11.4±1.4 yr (n = 494) , 1.15±1.22 SDS and 28.6 % & 17.4% respectively. Forty ive boys initiated puberty before 9 yrs (9.1%). A positive and statistically significant association was found between total body obesity and precocious puberty from 4 to 7 years of age (i.e. between 5 and 6 years of age, OR: 2.68 95% CI: 1.09 - 6.57) and at the time of pubertal onset OR: 3.59 95% CI: 1.92 - 6.70. When analyzing BMI SDS as a continuous variable, the association remained positive and significant at birth and from 4 to 8 years of age and at the time of pubertal onset. Likewise, a positive and significant association was found between central obesity and precocious puberty from 4 to 7 years of age (example between 5 and 6 years, OR: 6.36 95% CI: 2.03-19.92). Conclusions. Total and central body obesity in boys aged 4 to 7 years is associated with earlier puberty. Our observation supports the association of adiposity and earlier pubertal events in Chilean boys. Early puberty might increase the risk of behavior problems. In addition, it has been postulated that precocious puberty in boys, could be related to higher incidence of testicular cancer in adulthood. Our results suggest that controlling the obesity epidemic could be useful in decreasing these risks. Additional studies are needed to understand the possible relationships among race/ethnicity, gender, BMI, and the timing of pubertal development

Simple reaction time and obesity in children: whether there is a relationship?

ObjectiveReaction time (RT) testing is one of the oldest diagnostic methods used in modern psychology, and is known as simple and sensitive cognitive test. It has been recently reported that RT is related to obesity in young, adult and elderly individuals. However, most of the studies included small sample of participants, used just body mass index (BMI) as body obesity index, and did not consider some potential confounders such as age, socioeconomic status and physical activity in their studies. Furthermore, there is little and contradictory results for children. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between RT and weight status in a sample of children.MethodsThree hundred and fifty four 9–12 year old schoolboys underwent standard anthropometry, and various simple RT tests.ResultsAfter controlling for potential confounders no significant relationship was observed between audio-RT (RTA) and clinical RT (RTclin) with BMI, %fat, waist circumference (WC) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) (P > 0.05). But, significant relationship (β = 0.18; P = 0.02) was observed between visual-RT (RTV) and %fat (but not BMI, WC and WHtR).ConclusionsAmong the various simple RT tasks and central and total body obesity indices, just significant relationship was observed between %fat and RTV in the schoolboys. According to the results, it is concluded that RT impairment due to obesity may less be observed, or may not be observed for some types of RT tasks and obesity indices during childhood.

High prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Durban South African Indians: The Phoenix Lifestyle Project.

Previous studies show a high prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in South African (SA) Asian Indians, with the emergence of premature coronary artery disease in young Indian subjects. To determine the prevalence of CV risk factors in this population. This was a cross-sectional study of randomly selected adults aged 15 - 64 years from the suburb of Phoenix in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province, SA. All participants had demographic, anthropometric and biochemical measurements using the modified World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise survey methods. Hypertension, obesity, lipid abnormalities and diabetes mellitus (DM) were diagnosed using WHO criteria. Age-standardised frequencies for glycaemic indices were calculated according to the WHO standard world population distribution. Of the 1 428 subjects who responded (response rate 72.1%), complete data for analysis were available on 1 378 (1 001 women). The mean age was 45.5 (standard deviation 13) years. There were high prevalences of hypertension (47.5%), DM (20.1%), total body obesity (raised body mass index) (32.4%) and increased waist circumference (73.1%). The 'thin-fat' Asian phenotype (isolated abdominal obesity) was found in only 4.8% of participants. High prevalences of total body obesity (32.1%), increased waist circumference (31.3%) and insulin resistance (28.2%) were documented in the youngest age group. Over half of the males and 14.6% of females were current smokers. Diabetic dyslipidaemia was found in 61 subjects (4.4%). In multivariate analysis, age, triglycerides and waist circumference measurement were significant independent risk factors associated with DM and, together with fasting glucose, also predicted hypertension. Compared with Asian Indian subjects with similar environmental exposure in previous studies, the magnitude of change in risk factor prevalence over the past two decades has been of epidemic proportions.

Work patterns, sleeping hours and excess weight in commercial drivers.

Work and sleep patterns for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers often include long working hours, shift work and diminished sleep duration and quality, which have been linked to overweight, obesity and other problems. To explore possible connections between work, sleep and obesity among CMV drivers. Survey and anthropometric data were collected from male long-haul CMV drivers in central North Carolina, USA, over a period of 6 months. Drivers' body mass index (BMI) was used as a measure of total body obesity and sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) as a measure of central adiposity. Among the 260 study subjects, mean BMI was 33.1 (64% were obese or morbidly obese) and mean SAD was 32.3cm, classifying 89% of drivers as being at high or very high cardiometabolic risk. About 83% of drivers worked an irregular daily schedule, 64% worked irregular total daily hours, 32% worked irregular days of the week and 46% reported getting <7h of sleep during work nights. Significant predictors of BMI included the number of hours worked daily (P < 0.05) and the age (P < 0.01) of the driver, while age was also a significant predictor for SAD (P < 0.05). Significant predictors of sleep quality included the extent of shift work (P < 0.05) and sleep duration (P < 0.001). Work and sleep configurations appear to affect the weight status of CMV drivers. Shift work and sleep duration are both associated with the weight status of CMV drivers, and both appear to function as indicators of their sleep quality.

Effect of Obesity and Leptin Level on Migraineurs.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to analyze the effects of obesity and leptin levels on patients with migraine, and to observe the change of leptin levels in migraineurs.Material/MethodsWe enrolled 52 migraine patients from the Headache Clinic in Shandong Provincial Hospital into a randomized controlled trial with another 52 age-, sex-, and BMI-matched healthy subjects as controls. Leptin levels in all subjects were determined by radioimmunoassay.ResultsCompared with the control group, the migraineurs revealed no significant change in leptin levels (P>0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that neither abdominal obesity nor leptin had significant impact on migraine clinical features. Total body obesity had a significant effect on the frequency (OR=4.248), duration (OR=3.167), and intensity (OR=5.225) of the headache.ConclusionsTotal body obesity affected headache frequency, intensity, and duration, while leptin levels did not.

Abstract 1854: Metabolic cross talk between omental derived adipose stromal cells from lean and obese patients with ovarian cancer cells.

Abstract Advanced-stage ovarian cancers have been shown to be metastatic in peritoneal cavity. Ovarian cancer metastasis is diagnosed primarily in omentum which is a soft fatty pad that extends from stomach and covers the bowel. The location of excess adipose tissue appears to be an important factor which influences the effect of obesity on cancer incidence. For example, increased total body obesity is associated with relative risk of 1.14 of developing ovarian cancer. However, a waist to hip circumference ratio of &amp;gt;0.85 is associated with a much higher 8-fold increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Individuals with greater waist to hip ratio generally have more visceral adipose including omental adipose. The tumor promoting effects of regional adipose may be attributed, at least in part, to the presence of a population of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in adipose tissue. Adipose stem cells or adipose derived stromal cells (ASCs) are a multi-potent population of mesenchymal stem cells, which support cancer progression in many models. These cells are uniquely tumor tropic, migrating into tumor stroma from regional sources where they support formation of tumor stroma elements and promote tumor progression. Here, we use metabolic foot-printing approach to dissect the metabolic networks regulated by ASCs and ACs, as well as their role in imparting drug resistance to tumors by deregulating metabolic pathways in ovarian cancer cells. Importantly, we found that O-ASCs from obese patients differentially induce metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells and that cancer cells induce reciprocal metabolic alterations and phenotypic changes in O-ASCs from lean patients. Citation Format: Bahar Salimian Rizi, Alexandra Nowicka, Ann H. Klopp, Deepak Nagrath. Metabolic cross talk between omental derived adipose stromal cells from lean and obese patients with ovarian cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1854. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1854

Migraine in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: Is there a Relationship to Leptin?

Previous studies have reported association of migraine and metabolic syndrome (MS) and between MS and leptin (a protein product of the obesity gene). This study aimed to determine whether there is a link between MS and its components, leptin and migraine and its covariates (frequency and duration), as data regarding this relationship are still sparse or even controversial. This study included 60 patients with MS and comorbid migraine with mean age of 47.83±7.31 years. Demographic, anthropometric, clinical and lab characteristics were identified. Serum leptin concentrations were also measured. Nearly 58.33% had episodic migraine (MoA=44.64%, MA=16.6%), 35% had chronic migraine and 6.67% had tension type headache (TTH). Obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension and were reported in all patients, of them 80% had hypertriglyceridemia and/or dyslipidemia, 81.67% had insulin resistance (IR) and 58.33% hyperleptinemia. Compared to patients with TTH, patients with migraine had higher measurements for BMI (39.01 ± 6.05), WC (P = 0.058), poor glycemic control (8.11 ± 1.22), SBP (P = 0.052), DBP (P = 0.050) and serum levels of LDL-c (P = 0.0001), fasting insulin (P = 0.0001) and leptin (P = 0.0001). Leptin concentrations were found to be positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.547, P = 0.008), WC (r = 0.445, P = 0.002), HbA1c (r = 0.656, P = 0.001) and fasting insulin (r = 0.613, P = 0.008). The logistic regression to model leptin and headache parameters (frequency and duration) after adjusting age and sex and leptin levels, were found to correlate with BMI, WC and fasting insulin) but this relationship disappeared after adjustment of these covariates. We conclude that comorbid migraine with MS is related to obesity (total body obesity and abdominal adiposity) and insulin abnormalities after adjustment of other covariates.

Bariatric surgery in obese migraineurs: Mounting evidence but important questions remain

Bariatric surgery in obese migraineurs: Mounting evidence but important questions remain

M1354 Abdominal Obesity vs. Total Body Obesity: Specific Risk Factors

Background: Abdominal obesity (characterized by increased waist to hip ratio, WHR) is associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and various cancers. Increased WHR is associated with gender and race. Little is known about what behavioral factors may be associated with this body fat distribution. Methods: 283 men aged 50-79 years undergoing colonoscopy for colon cancer screening underwent body measurements and answered questionnaires regarding dietary habits and physical activity. We estimated Pearson and Spearman correlations between measures of obesity and various behaviors, and used linear regression models of the behaviors for body mass index (BMI per 1 kg/m2), waist circumference (per 1 cm), hip circumference (per 1 cm), and WHR (per 0.01), both unadjusted, and adjusted for each other. Results: Mean BMI was 30.4 kg/m2 (standard deviation, SD = 5.9), waist 109cm (SD = 15), hip 109cm (SD = 12), and WHR 1.00 (SD = 0.06). Waist was very closely correlated with BMI (rho = 0.93), as was hip (rho = 0.92), but WHR was only moderately correlated with BMI (rho = 0.45). Correlations with each measure of obesity are shown in Table 1. Linear regressions results for obesity, adjusted for each factor and for BMI or WHR, are shown in Table 2. Conclusions: WHR appears to measure a construct distinct from waist circumference or BMI. The association between the ratio of fat to carbohydrate intake and WHR may be due to the increased capacity of visceral fat for taking up fatty acids. The inverse association of frequent moderate exercise with WHR may be due to the increased sensitivity of visceral fat to catecholamines for lipolysis. Age is also associated with WHR. These findings may direct future research aimed at reducing the risk of sequelae from abdominal obesity. Table 1: Correlations (rho)

Obesity and migraine: the effect of age, gender and adipose tissue distribution.

To evaluate the prevalence of migraine/severe headaches in those with and without general obesity and abdominal obesity (Abd-O) and the effect of gender and age on this relationship. General, or total body obesity (TBO), as estimated by body mass index, is a risk factor for migraine chronification. However, there are conflicting data as to whether TBO is associated with migraine prevalence. Abd-O has been shown to be a better predictor of various disease states than TBO, but has not been evaluated in general population studies in association with migraine. Data from a general population survey, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, were used to obtain demographics, self-report of migraine/severe headaches and measured body mass indices, including height, weight, and waist circumference. All analyses were stratified by age and gender and multivariate analyses were determined through use of logistic regression models. A total of 21,783 participants were included in the analysis. Between 20-55 years of age, the prevalence of migraine was increased in both men and women with TBO as compared with those without, (P <or= .001). Migraine was also more prevalent in those with Abd-O as compared with those without (men: 20.1% vs 15.9%, P < .001; women: 36.9% vs 28.8.2%, P < .001). After 55 years of age, the prevalence of migraine in men was no longer associated with either TBO or Abd-O. Similarly, after 55 years of age, the prevalence of migraine in women was no longer associated with TBO. However, in women older than 55 years, the prevalence of migraine was decreased in those with Abd-O as compared with those without Abd-O (14.4% vs 17.4%, P < .05). After adjusting for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors and Abd-O, results were similar for the association between migraine prevalence and TBO in both younger and older men and women. After adjusting for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors and TBO, migraine prevalence was no longer associated with Abd-O in younger men, but remained associated with an increased odds ratio of having migraine in younger women, as well as a decreased odds ratio in older women. The relationship between migraine and obesity varies by age, gender, and adipose tissue distribution (eg, TBO vs Abd-O). In men and women <or=55 years old, migraine prevalence is increased in those with TBO, independent of Abd-O. In addition, in men and women <or=55 years old, migraine prevalence is increased in those with Abd-O; and in women this association is independent of TBO. In men older than 55 years, migraine is not associated with either TBO or Abd-O. However, in women older than 55 years, migraine prevalence is decreased in those with Abd-O and is independent of TBO.

Self-reported vs measured body mass indices in migraineurs.

To compare and contrast body mass indices calculated based on self-reported height and weight as compared with measured height and weight in migraine patients. Obesity is a risk factor for multiple neurological disorders including stroke, dementia, and migraine chronification. In addition, several cytokines and adipocytokines associated with migraine are modulated by body mass. The body mass index (BMI) is a commonly used anthropometric measure to estimate total body fat and is often calculated based on patient's self-reported height and weight. This was a retrospective study evaluating consecutive migraine patients presenting to a headache clinic.Demographic characteristics and self-reported height and weight were obtained from a standardized questionnaire that each new patient completes upon presentation to the clinic. In addition, as depression has been shown to be associated with both migraine and obesity, information in regards to major depression utilizing the Patient Healthcare Questionnaire-9 was extracted as well. Following completion of the questionnaire, body mass indices are routinely measured, with height measured to the nearest 0.5 inch utilizing a mounted stadiometer, and weight measured with a standard scale to the nearest 0.5 lb. After this information was extracted from the charts, BMI was then calculated for both self-reported and measured body mass indices.Using the measured body mass indices as a standard, this was then compared and contrasted to the patient's self-reported body mass indices. A total of 110 patients were included in the study. Patients were predominantly female (91%) with a mean age of 38.6 +/- 11.6 years. Of the total patients included, no significant difference in self-reported height (mean 64.7 +/- 3.1 inches) as compared with measured height (mean 64.5 +/- 3.4 inches) was seen, P = .463. However, self-reported weight (169 +/- 41.3) was underestimated as compared with the measured weight (173.5 +/- 43.2), P = .001. And, the self-reported BMI (28.4 +/- 6.8) was significantly less than the measured BMI (29.4 +/- 7.5), P < .001. In our study, the self-reported mean weight and BMI for migraineurs was significantly less than the measured mean weight and BMI, and was of greater magnitude in the obese migraineurs. This suggests that conclusions drawn from studies evaluating obesity utilizing self-reported BMI in migraineurs may undercall the effect of total body obesity.

Oligomerization state-dependent elevations of adiponectin in chronic daily headache

To evaluate serum adiponectin levels in female episodic migraineurs (EMs) and chronic daily headache (CDH) sufferers. Obesity is a risk factor for headache "chronification." Adiponectin (ADP) is an adipocytokine secreted primarily by adipose tissue. ADP and its oligomers (high-molecular-weight [HMW], middle-molecular-weight [MMW], and low-molecular-weight [LMW] ADP) have been shown to modulate several inflammatory pathways that have also been shown to be associated with migraine pathophysiology. Age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched women participants were enrolled. Anthropometric measures (including waist-to-hip ratio [WHR] and BMI) were measured in all participants. Serum total ADP (T-ADP) levels and its oligomers were measured in EMs during headache-free periods and CDH sufferers at baseline level of pain, as compared with healthy control subjects using ELISA. Although total body obesity as estimated by BMI showed no significant association between participants, visceral obesity as estimated by WHR was significantly associated with CDH as compared with EMs and controls. WHR was also inversely related to both T-ADP (p = 0.008) and HMW-ADP (p = 0.002). After adjusting for WHR, serum T-ADP levels were higher in CDH sufferers (10.1 +/- 4.0) than in both EMs (8.6 +/- 3.5) and controls (7.5 +/- 2.4) (p = 0.024). In addition, HMW-ADP was higher in CDH (6.1 +/- 2.8) as compared with EMs (4.2 +/- 1.7) and controls (3.9 +/- 1.5) (p = 0.003). MMW-ADP was also higher in CDH (2.0 +/- 1.2) as compared with EMs (1.5 +/- 0.7) and controls (1.1 +/- 0.4) (p = 0.009). Serum adiponectin levels are increased in women chronic daily headache (CDH) sufferers. In addition, visceral obesity, as measured by waist-to-hip ratio, is a risk factor for CDH in women.

Central obesity and increased risk of dementia more than three decades later

Numerous reports show that a centralized distribution of adiposity is a more dangerous risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes than total body obesity. No studies have evaluated whether the same pattern exists with dementia. The objective was to evaluate the association between midlife central obesity and risk of dementia three decades later. A longitudinal analysis was conducted of 6,583 members of Kaiser Permanente of Northern California who had their sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) measured in 1964 to 1973. Diagnoses of dementia were from medical records an average of 36 years later, January 1, 1994, to June 16, 2006. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age, sex, race, education, marital status, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, stroke, heart disease, and medical utilization were conducted. A total of 1,049 participants (15.9%) were diagnosed with dementia. Compared with those in the lowest quintile of SAD, those in the highest had nearly a threefold increased risk of dementia (hazard ratio, 2.72; 95% CI, 2.33-3.33), and this was only mildly attenuated after adding body mass index (BMI) to the model (hazard ratio, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.58-2.35). Those with high SAD (>25 cm) and normal BMI had an increased risk (hazard ratio, 1.89; 95% CI, 0.98-3.81) vs those with low SAD (<25 cm) and normal BMI (18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)), whereas those both obese (BMI >30 kg/m(2)) and with high SAD had the highest risk of dementia (HR, 3.60; 95% CI, 2.85-4.55). Central obesity in midlife increases risk of dementia independent of diabetes and cardiovascular comorbidities. Fifty percent of adults have central obesity; therefore, mechanisms linking central obesity to dementia need to be unveiled.

Abdominal obesity and carotid artery wall thickness. The Los Angeles Atherosclerosis Study.

To determine whether or not abdominal obesity is associated with the intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery wall independently of total body obesity and major risk factors for atherosclerosis. : Longitudinal epidemiological study. A total of 573 middle-aged employees of a utility company. Sagittal and transverse abdominal diameters, their ratio and difference were used as measures of abdominal obesity. Abdominal diameters and body mass index (BMI) were significantly associated with blood pressure, serum lipoproteins and fasting insulin. In cross-sectional multiple regression models, the sagittal/transverse ratio and BMI were significantly associated with IMT in the presence of atherosclerosis risk, but the sagittal diameter was not. In longitudinal models, baseline BMI was an independent predictor of IMT progression but the sagittal and transverse diameters were not. These findings do not support the hypothesis that abdominal obesity is an independent predictor of carotid artery IMT. The consistent pattern of association of measures of general obesity with carotid artery IMT emphasizes the continuing need for prevention and control of this important risk factor.

Serum leptin is associated with serum uric acid concentrations in humans

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the relationship between leptin and the cluster of abnormalities often referred to as the metabolic syndrome. The serum leptin concentration, body mass index (BMI), percent body fat, total fat mass (FM), waist and hip circumference, waist to hip ratio (WHR), prevalence of hypertension, and triglyceride (TG), lipoprotein, and uric acid concentration were determined in 86 type 2 diabetic (n = 59) and healthy (n = 27) subjects. Multiple regression analyses showed that the estimates of total body obesity (BMI, percent body fat, and total FM), sex, and serum uric acid concentration are independently associated with the serum leptin concentration. The finding of a positive correlation between serum leptin and uric acid levels suggests that leptin could be a pathogenic factor responsible for hyperuricemia in obesity.

Genetics of human body size and shape: pleiotropic and independent genetic determinants of adiposity

SummaryThe present study utilized pedigree data from three ethnically different populations of Kirghizstan, Turkmenia and Chuvasha. Principal component analysis was performed on a matrix of genetic correlations between 22 measures of adiposity, including skinfolds, circumferences and indices. Findings are summarized as follows: (1) All three genetic matrices were not positive definite and the first four factors retained even after exclusion RG ⩾ 1.0, explained from 88% to 97% of the total additive genetic variation in the 22 traits studied. This clearly emphasizes the massive involvement of pleiotropic gene effects in the variability of adiposity traits. (2) Despite the quite natural differences in pairwise correlations between the adiposity traits in the three ethnically different samples under study, factor analysis revealed a common basic pattern of covariability for the adiposity traits. In each of the three samples, four genetic factors were retained, namely, the amount of subcutaneous fat, the total body obesity, the pattern of distribution of subcutaneous fat and the central adiposity distribution. (3) Genetic correlations between the retained four factors were virtually non-existent, suggesting that several independent genetic sources may be governing the variation of adiposity traits. (4) Variance decomposition analysis on the obtained genetic factors leaves no doubt regarding the substantial familial and (most probably genetic) effects on variation of each factor in each studied population. The similarity of results in the three different samples indicates that the findings may be deemed valid and reliable descriptions of the genetic variation and covariation pattern of adiposity traits in the human species.

Metabolism: Clinical and experimental

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the relationship between leptin and the cluster of abnormalities often referred to as the metabolic syndrome. The serum leptin concentration, body mass index (BMI), percent body fat, total fat mass (FM), waist and hip circumference, waist to hip ratio (WHR), prevalence of hypertension, and triglyceride (TG), lipoprotein, and uric acid concentration were determined in 86 type 2 diabetic {n = 59) and healthy (n = 27) subjects. Multiple regression analyses showed that the estimates of total body obesity (BMI, percent body fat, and total FM), sex, and serum uric acid concentration are independently associated with the serum leptin concentration. The finding of a positive correlation between serum leptin and uric acid levels suggests that leptin could be a pathogenic factor responsible for hyperuricemia in obesity. Copyright © 1999 by W.B. Saunders Company