Lowering of circulating insulin and leptin is closely associated following weight reduction after vertical banded gastroplasty in obese women

Summary Aim: To explore whether the lowering of insulin relates to changes in leptin following weight reduction after vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) in seven grossly obese women (BMI 45.9 ± 1.5 kg/m2). Results: At 6–24 months after VBG, BMI was reduced to 31.3 ± 0.9 kg/m2 (p < 0.018), leptin from 43 ± 9 to 12 ± 2 ng/ml (p < 0.018) and insulin from 172 ± 19 to 71 ± 2 pmol/l (p=0.018). The reduction in leptin correlated to the reduction in insulin (r = 0.94, p = 0.002) but not to that of BMI (r = 0.05, NS). Conclusion: Reduction in insulin seems more important for reduction in leptin than lowering of BMI, suggesting a close association between leptin and insulin in obese subjects.