Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leptin levels linked to insulin resistance in lean and overweight cats
By Appleton, D J et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2002·School of Veterinary Science, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Plasma leptin concentrations are independently associated with insulin sensitivity in lean and overweight cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of overweight and lean cats had their blood tested for leptin, a hormone that helps regulate insulin and glucose levels. The study found that higher leptin levels were linked to lower insulin sensitivity, meaning the cats' bodies were less able to use insulin effectively. Overweight cats showed higher leptin levels, especially those with glucose intolerance, which could indicate a problem with how their bodies manage sugar. This suggests that if your cat is overweight, it might struggle with insulin sensitivity due to increased leptin levels.
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Abstract
This study investigated relationships between plasma leptin, insulin concentrations, insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in lean and overweight cats. Leptin concentrations were measured in 16 cats during glucose tolerance tests before and after gaining weight, and after feeding a test meal in overweight cats. An important finding of this study is that in both lean (r=-0.79) and overweight (r=-0.89) cats, the higher the leptin concentrations, the more insulin resistant the cat, independent of the degree of adiposity. Leptin concentrations at baseline and after consuming a meal tended to be higher in overweight cats with glucose intolerance, compared to overweight cats with normal glucose tolerance, although the difference was not significant. After feeding the test meal to overweight cats in the early morning, plasma leptin concentrations initially decreased before subsequently rising to peak 15 h later, which coincided with late evening. The leptin peak occurred 9 h after the insulin peak following ingestion of the test meal. Importantly, this study suggests that increased leptin concentrations may contribute to the diminished insulin sensitivity seen in overweight cats. Alternatively, the compensatory hyperinsulinaemia found with insulin resistance in overweight cats could stimulate leptin production.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12027507/