Correlation between Serum Leptin Levels, Body Mass Index and Obesity in Omanis

Objective: To ascertain the relationship between serum leptin levels and related variables (weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) and fat percentage) in a group of Omani obese and non-obese healthy subjects. Methods: Leptin levels were assessed in serum samples from 35 obese Omanis and 20 non-obese healthy subjects. Results: There was a significant difference (p 0.001) in serum leptin between the obese group (34.78 ± 13.96 ng/ml) and the control non-obese subjects (10.6 ± 4.2 ng/ml). Leptin levels were higher in females compared to males. There was a significantly positive correlation between leptin levels in obese subjects with weight (p=0.002), body fat percentage (p=0.0001) and BMI (p=0.001). Conclusions: We concluded that serum leptin levels are higher in the Omani obese group and correlate positively with body fatness and obesity.