Association between plasma leptin and blood pressure in two population-based samples of children and adolescents

Objectives In this study we examined the association between leptin and blood pressure in a population-based study of Danish and Norwegian children and adolescents. Because of the putative bidirectional relationship between leptin and adiposity we formally tested (i) the mediating effect of body mass index in the association between leptin and blood pressure, and (ii) the mediating effect of leptin in the association between body mass index and blood pressure. Methods To examine these aims we used a cross-sectional random sample of children and adolescents from Denmark and Norway (n=1993) who had measures of leptin, anthropometry, blood pressure and other personal and biological risk factors for raised blood pressure available. Results Both body mass index and leptin were positively associated with blood pressure (P<0.001). The association with leptin was stronger in pre- and early-pubertal children compared to late-and post-pubertal adolescents (P