Clarisse Noël A. Ayina¹, Francky Teddy A. Endomba²*, Samuel Honoré Mandengue¹, Jean Jacques Noubiap³, Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa⁴, Philippe Boudou⁵, Jean‑Francois Gautier^6,7, Jean Claude Mbanya^2,8,9 and Eugene Sobngwi^2,8,9

Authors’ affiliations

1. Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon.
2. Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
3. Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
4. Department of Animal Science, Higher Teacher’s Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaounde, Cameroon.
5. Department of Hormonal Biology, Saint‑Louis Hospital, Public Assistance ‑Paris Hospitals, University Paris-Diderot Paris-7, Paris, France.
6. Department Diabetes and Endocrinology, Lariboisiere Hospital, Public Assistance – Paris Hospitals, University Paris-Diderot Paris-7, Paris, France.
7. INSERM UMRS 1138, Cordeliers Research Centre, University Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Paris, France.
8. Laboratory for Molecular Medicine and Metabolism, Biotechnology Center, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
9. National Obesity Center, Yaoundé Central Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Corresponding author*: Dr Francky Teddy A. Endomba (MD), Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

Abstract

Objectives: Considering the known negative correlation of adiponectin with blood pressure, and the positive one of leptin, we conducted this study which aimed to assess the relationship between leptin-to-adiponectin ratio and blood pressure in a sub-Saharan African population.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included 385 adults in the general population of Cameroon. Data collected concerned the body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and results of biological measurements especially leptin and adiponectin plasma levels. Correlations between blood pressure and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio were done using Spearman’s analysis and comparison between groups using Mann Whitney test.

Results: There were 145 males and 240 females, and 230 individuals (59.7%) had high blood pressure. Spearman’s analysis revealed significantly positive correlation between systolic blood pressure and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio in men (p=0.017), and between diastolic blood pressure and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio among women (p=0.02). There were no significant correlations between leptin-to-adiponectin ratio with diastolic pressure in men, systolic pressure in women, and both diastolic and systolic blood pressure in the whole sample. Globally, leptin-to-adiponectin ratio was significantly more elevated (p=0.036) for people with high blood pressure (median of 2.2±2.5) than for those with normal blood pressure (median of 1.9±2.7). In men, leptin-to-adiponectin ratio was significantly higher in hypertensive subjects than in normotensive ones (p<0.0001), but for women the superiority was not significant.

Conclusion: In this group of sub-Saharan African adults, we found that higher leptin-to-adiponectin ratio levels were proportional to higher blood pressure values, in general and more specifically in men.

Keywords: Leptin-to-adiponectin ratio, Blood Pressure, Sub-Saharan Africa.