Objective: Glucagonlike peptide 1 (GLP-1) is the most potent stimulator of glucose-induced insulin secretion. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationships of basal circulating GLP-1 and metabolic syndrome in obese patients without cardiovascular disease.
Materials and methods: A sample of 202 obese patients was enrolled. Dietary intake, weight, bioimpedance, blood pressure, fasting glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood triglycerides, and GLP-1 levels were measured in all patients. To estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, the definitions of the Adult Treatment Panel III was considered.
Results: Patients were divided at the median of GLP-1 value (8.02 ng/dL): group 1 (n = 101) and group 2 (n = 101). Metabolic syndrome (MS) prevalence was higher in patients with the lowest median group of GLP-1 (52.5% vs 38.6%; P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed a significant correlation among serum GLP-1 levels and the independent variables; waist-to-hip ratio (r = -0.15; P < 0.05), glucose (r = -0.15; P < 0.05), total cholesterol (r = -0.22; P < 0.05), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = -0.27; P < 0.05). In the logistic analysis with MS presence/absence as an independent variable, only weight and GLP-1 levels remained in the model. Weight shows an odds ratio of 1.10 (95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.13) by each increase of 1 kg of weight, and GLP-1 levels shows an odds ratio of 0.89 (95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.99) by each increase of 1 ng/dL of GLP-1 levels.
Conclusions: Obese patients with MS had lower mean GLP-1 levels than those without MS. Glucagonlike peptide 1 levels remained as a preventive factor to develop MS.