Serum leptin levels are positively associated with aortic stiffness in patients with chronic kidney disease stage 3–5

Leptin potentially exerts atherogenic effects.This study evaluated the relationship between serum leptin levels and aortic stiffness in patients with stage 3–5 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Totally 205 participants were enrolled. Fasting blood sample were checked and serum leptin were measured by enzyme immunoassay. Aortic stiffness was measured as the carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). 73 (35.6%) of 205 patients showed cfPWV >10 m/s were defined as aortic stiffness group. Compared with the remaining patients, the aortic stiffness group had high prevalence of diabetes mellitus, older age, higher waist circumference, body fat mass, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, and higher serum leptin level. In multivariable logistic regression analysis the independent predictors of cfPWV >10 m/s included leptin levels (odds ratio [OR]: 1.061, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.027–1.095, P < 0.001), age (OR: 1.064, 95% CI: 1.033–1.096, P< 0.001), and systolic blood pressure (OR: 1.021, 95% CI: 1.006–1.037, P = 0.006). Multivariable forward stepwise linear regression analysisshowed a positive association between log-transformed leptin levels and log-cfPWV (β = 0.192, adjusted R² change = 0.042, P = 0.001). Thus, aortic stiffness is positively correlated with serum leptin levels in patients with stage 3–5 CKD. Abbreviations: BUN, blood urea nitrogen; cfPWV, carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity; CI, confidence interval; CKD, chronic kidney disease; Cre, creatinine; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; DM, diabetes mellitus; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; OR, odds ratio; SBP, systolic blood pressure; TCH, total cholesterol; TG, triglycerides.