Abstract:
Adipokines are bioactive mediators that communicate between adipose tissue and other
biological systems. Adipokines have strongly been linked to adiposity and obesity. The
body’s balance of adipokines is fundamental to prevent obesity and other non-
communicable disease. However, their levels in the aetiogenesis of obesity or otherwise
have not been studied in Ghana.. The aim of the study was to investigate the levels of
plasma Leptin, Adiponectin, Resistin (major adipokines) among women between the ages
of 20 to 80 years in James Town, Accra. One hundred and eleven women were used for
this study using invitational sampling. A structured questionnaire covering subjects’
lifestyle and anthropometrics was administered to each consented subject. The subjects’
anthropometrics (weight, height, BMI, percentage body fat, visceral fat, skeletal muscle
and resting metabolism) and blood pressure (BP) were taken. Total cholesterol (TC), high
density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-c), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c),
triglycerides (TRIG), fasting blood glucose (FBG), Leptin, Adiponectin and Resistin
were assessed.
The prevalence of obesity in this study was 48% and body composition correlated with
blood pressures of study subjects. Adiponectin levels correlated positively with LDL-c (r
=0.219, p = 0.030), TCHOL/HDL-c (r=0.281, p = 0.005) and LDL/HDL (r = 0.269, p =
0.007). On the other hand, adiponectin correlated inversely with HDL-c (r = -0.226, p =
0.024). Adiponectin was high in normal subjects with normal SBP which supports other
studies and therefore has the potential in protecting one from cardiovascular damage.
