Sarah E. Deemer

Relationship of leptin, resting metabolic rate, and body composition in premenopausal hispanic and non-Hispanic White women.

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.