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AimResistin is a cytokine related with inflammation and ischemic heart disease. Physical activity (PA) prevents chronic inflammation and ischemic heart disease. We studied the relationship of serum concentration of resistin with HDL cholesterol, a known biomarker of PA, and with different measures of PA, in a large sample of the general adult population in the Canary Islands.MethodsCross-sectional study of 6636 adults recruited randomly. We analyzed the correlation of resistin and HDL cholesterol with PA (as metabolic equivalent level [MET]), and fitted the results with linear and logistic regression models using adjustment for age, alcohol consumption and smoking.ResultsMean resistin level was higher in women (p<0.001), correlated inversely with age, HDL cholesterol (p<0.001) and alcohol consumption (p<0.001 in men), and correlated directly with smoking (p<0.001). Resistin correlated inversely with the duration of leisure time PA (p<0.001), leisure time MET (p<0.001) and moderate leisure time PA (p<0.001), with some differences between sexes. Men (OR = 0.78 [0.61–0.99; p<0.05]) and women (OR = 0.75 [0.61–0.92; p<0.01]) in the upper quintile of leisure time PA had a lower risk of elevated resistin. In contrast, a high degree of sedentarism was associated with an increased risk elevated resistin in women (OR = 1.24 [1.04–1.47; p<0.05] and in men (OR = 1.40 [1.01–1.82; p<0.05]).ConclusionsIn our sample of the general population, resistin was inversely associated with measures and levels of PA and HDL cholesterol. The association of resistin with PA was stronger than the association of HDL cholesterol with PA, making resistin a potentially useful biomarker of PA.

BackgroundThere is an increasing prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) in developing countries. It has been shown the relationship between social class and MS in developed countries. The objective of our study was to compare the association of social class with the prevalence of MS in a developing country (Tunisia, region of Cap-Bon) and a developed one (Spain, Canary Islands).MethodsCross-sectional study of 6729 Canarian and 393 Tunisian individuals. Social class was measured with the income, crowding and education (ICE) model, which includes family income, household crowding and education level. Logistic regression models adjusted by age estimated the risk by odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI 95 %) of MS according to social class.ResultsMS prevalence was higher in Tunisian (50 %) than in Canarian women (29 %; p = 0.002), with no significant differences between men. For Canarian women, being in the highest social class was a protective factor against MS (OR = 0.39; CI 95 % 0.29–0.53) and all its components. The Canarian population and the Tunisian women, showed a significant linear trend (p < 0.001) of MS to decrease when social class increased.ConclusionHigh social class is a protective factor from MS and its components within the Canarian population and the Tunisian women. Our results suggest that the socioeconomic transition in a developing country like Tunisia can improve the population health in a sex-specific manner.

Aims: To evaluate the effect of obesity associated or not with Metabolic Syndrome (MS) on leptinemia, insulinemia and lipid profile in subjects from the region of Cap-Bon in northeastern Tunisia. Methods: Ninety seven individuals were included in this study. Anthropometric parameters (Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC) and Hip Circumference (HC), metabolic parameters (Total Cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, HDL-C, Non-Esterified Fatty Acids (NEFA), Triglycerides (TG), C˗Reactive Protein (CRP), glucose) and hormones (insulin and leptin) were determined. Insulin resistance was estimated by Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). Metabolic syndrome was identified with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Results: Obese patients with and without MS, Ob-MS and Ob groups, have significantly increased plasma levels of glucose, TG, TC, LDL-C and decreased HDL-C. In obese subjects Ob and Ob-MS, plasma levels of insulin and the HOMA-IR index were increased especially when obesity is associated with MS, conversely to leptin which decreases slightly in the presence of MS. Leptinemia was positively correlated with BMI in the whole population. But, we did not find any correlation between leptinemia and HOMA-IR. In controls, plasma leptin concentrations were positively correlated to LDL-C (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings support the link between leptinemia in obesity, associated or not with MS. However, in the Tunisian population plasma leptin was not associated to insulin profile.