Leptin and cortisol: Relationships with metabolic syndrome in male and female teachers

Increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome causes the need for prevention of risk factors and markers, some of them are the role of leptin and cortisol. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between leptin and cortisol levels as risk factors of metabolic syndrome among men and women in the teacher group.

A cross sectional study was performed with 86 teachers (16 men and 70 women). Characteristic sample, Anthropometry, Lipid profile, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, cortisol and leptin were measured for all samples.

Leptin levels are higher in women than in men (30.64±15.50 vs 7.87±6.02; p=0.005). While cortisol levels are higher in men than in women (12.09±4.94 vs 8.64±4.15; p<0.001). Age, stress levels, leptin and cortisol showed a significant association with metabolic syndrome. Leptin correlates significantly with High Density Lipoprotein/HDL levels (r=0.391) for all samples. In men, leptin is significantly correlated with triglycerides/TG (r=0.529) and systolic blood pressure (r=0.510), whereas in women, leptin correlates with abdominal circumference (r=0.479). Cortisol was significantly correlated with Fasting Blood Glucose/FBG (r = 0.30) in all samples. In men cortisol was significantly correlated with Body mass index/BMI) (r = 0.612 while in women it was significantly correlated with FBG (r = 0.328).

Leptin levels are higher in women than in men, but cortisol is higher in men than in women. In men, triglyceride levels and systolic blood pressure correlate with an increase in leptin, whereas in women is the abdominal circumference. In men, BMI correlates with cortisol and in women fasting blood glucose levels.