• Xinyan Bi, Yi Ting Loo, and Christiani Jeyakumar Henry.
• Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore; National University Health System, Centre for Translational Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of Singapore, Singapore.
• Nutrition. 2019 Apr 1; 60: 6-10.

ObjectivesIt has been demonstrated that leptin influences the energy balance by regulating appetite and increasing energy expenditure (EE). However, the relationship between circulating leptin and EE is confounded owing to variations in body composition. The aim of this study was to determine the role of circulating leptin in energy regulation and to examine whether the leptin-mediated changes in EE are associated with adiposity among healthy adults living in Singapore.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of 300 participants (112 men). Resting metabolic rate (RMR) was measured by indirect calorimetry. Body composition (i.e., fat mass [FM] and fat-free mass [FFM]) was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Serum leptin levels were determined by radioimmunoassay.ResultsThere were strong correlations between circulating leptin levels, FM, and RMR in healthy men and women. After normalization of RMR by a power function model (kcal·kg FFM0.86·d-1), the influence of FFM can be effectively removed. The normalized RMR was significantly associated with both FM (r = 0.28, P < 0.001) and log leptin (r = 0.35, P < 0.001). In the stepwise multiple regression analysis, leptin level is the major predictor for normalized RMR, accounting for 12% of the variation. In contrast, FM did not explain any variation in normalized RMR.ConclusionLeptin may be a more significant predictor of normalized RMR than FM per se. The contribution of FM to RMR could be via a mechanism that is related to leptin-dependent responses involved in energy homeostasis.Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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