Abstract. – OBJECTIVE: We compared the effects
of three weight loss interventions on
serum concentrations of adiponectin and leptin
in obese premenopausal women.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: 114 obese Caucasian
women were randomized into three
groups receiving a low-calorie diet (LC; n = 39),
an isocaloric diet with 500 mg of metformin
twice a day (IM; n = 38), and an isocaloric diet
with 120 mg of orlistat three times a day (IO; n =
37), for three months. Serum concentrations of
adiponectin and leptin were evaluated, along
with anthropometric and body composition parameters,
at baseline and after the study.
RESULTS: Both IO and LC, but not IM, caused
an increase in serum adiponectin concentration (p
< 0.01, p < 0.05 respectively). A decrease in serum
leptin level was documented in the LC (p < 0.001),
IM (p < 0.01), and IO group (p < 0.01). Beneficial
changes in anthropometric and body composition
values were observed following all interventions
with the greatest advantage seen in the IO group.
The strongest correlations, of ∆adiponectin with
∆body weight (r = -0.54), ∆BMI (r = -0.49), ∆FAT
[%] (r = -0.48), ∆FAT [kg] (r = -0.48), and ∆lean [%]
(r = 0.48); and of ∆leptin with ∆body weight, ∆BMI,
∆waist, ∆fat, and ∆lean, were documented in
the IO group.
CONCLUSIONS: Beneficial effects were observed
on serum leptin concentration, weight
loss, and body composition for all interventions
and in all examined groups, with the greatest advantage
being associated with the orlistat treatment.
Improvements in serum adiponectin concentrations resulted from the low-calorie and
isocaloric diets with orlistat, but not from the
isocaloric diet with metformin. We find these
strategies more promising for the treatment of
obesity and its related complications in obese
premenopausal women.
