Correlation Between Plasma Leptin Level and Severity of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography

To assess the correlation between plasma leptin level and severity of coronary atherosclerosis with coronary angiography. A large number of clinical studies have shown that patients with coronary heart disease often had high plasma leptin levels. There have been no previous studies regarding the correlation between plasma leptin and severity of coronary atherosclerosis. Methods: Every consecutive patient who underwent coronary angiography from December 1, 2007 to January 31, 2009 was recruited. The patients with history of coronary revascularization were excluded. Plasma leptin level and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured in the morning before coronary angiography. Coronary angiograms were reviewed by one interventional cardiologist who was blinded to the results of the plasma leptin determination. Gensini's score was used to grade the severity of coronary atherosclerosis. The correlation between plasma leptin level and severity of coronary atherosclerosis was analyzed. Results: There were 163 patients enrolled. The mean age was 63 ± 11 years. Male to female ratio was 2:1. Coronary angiography showed normal angiogram, single-vessel disease, double-vessel disease and triple-vessel disease in 38.7%, 23.9%, 17.2% and 20.2% respectively. The mean plasma leptin level was 11.9 ± 16.1 ng/ml. Mean plasma leptin level in the normal coronary angiography group and the coronary atherosclerosis group were 8.8 ± 12.2 ng/ml and 13.8 ±17.9 ng/ml, respectively. Plasma leptin level was significantly correlated with severity of coronary atherosclerosis by Gensini's score (r = 0.246, p = 0.002). Conclusion: High plasma leptin level was a predictor of more severe coronary atherosclerosis. Keywords: Plasma leptin level, Gensini's score, Coronary atherosclerosis