Plasma leptin level is associated with cardiac autonomic dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes: HSCAA study

Background: It has been shown that visceral fat accumulation is associated with autonomic dysfunction, though the precise mechanism remains unclear. A recent basic study found that leptin can directly modulate autonomic function through the dorsomedial hypothalamus in relation to obesity. Here, we investigated the mutual relationships among plasma leptin, visceral fat accumulation, and cardiac autonomic dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 100 diabetic patients, and 100 age- and gender-matched non-diabetic patients with cardiovascular risk factors. Plasma leptin and soluble leptin receptor levels, visceral fat area (VFA), and heart rate variability (HRV) were determined in addition to classical cardiovascular risk factors. Results: In the type 2 diabetic patients, VFA was significantly (p 
Source: Cardiovascular Diabetology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research