Effects of the traditional Mediterranean diet on adiponectin and leptin concentrations in men and premenopausal women: do sex differences exist?

Abstract

A bstract Background/O bjective: Most of the interventional studies have investigated the impact of the diet on adiponectin and leptin concentrations only in men or in women. Consequently, it is still unknown whether the consumption of a healthy diet influences in a sex-specific manner these adipocytokines.We examined sex differences in the effects of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) on adiponectin and leptin concentrations and determined whether changes in these adipocytokines are associated with changes in cardiovascular risk factors in both sexes.Subjects/Methods: Participants were 38 men and 32 premenopausal women (24-53y) with slightly elevated LDL-C concentrations (3.4-4.9 mmol/l) or total cholesterol/HDL-C and cardiovascular risk factors were measured before and after a 4-week fully-controlled isoenergetic MedDiet.Results: Adiponectin concentration decreased in response to the MedDiet, but this decrease reached statistical significance only in men (P<0.001 for men and P=0.260 for women; sex-by-time interaction, P=0.072). Adjustments for body weight or waist circumference did not change results obtained.Changes in adiponectin were positively associated with concomitant variations in HDL-C in men (r=0.52, P=0.003) and with variations in apo A-1 and insulin sensitivity as calculated by both HOMA-IS and Cederholm indices in women (respectively r=0.44, P=0.021; r=0.79, P<0.001 and r=0.47, P=0.020). The MedDiet had no impact on leptin and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio in both sexes.Conclusions: Results suggest sex difference in adiponectin response to the short-term consumption of the MedDiet, with only men experiencing a decrease. Also sex-specific patterns of associations between changes in adiponectin concentration and changes in cardiovascular risk factors were observed.

Dietary regulation of adiponectin by direct and indirect lipid activators of nuclear hormone receptors

“…However, the association between a short‐term Mediterranean diet and adiponectin concentration was not reproduced in a clinical trial realized in healthy subjects. At the opposite, men, but not women of the study experienced a decrease of adiponectin plasma levels . Thus this topic remains controversial and will require further clinical trials.…”

Gender, aging and longevity in humans: an update of an intriguing/neglected scenario paving the way to a gender-specific medicine

“…The results have shown an improvement in lipid profile, cardiovascular risk and inflammation markers which was significant in both genders [118,119]. Such a short-term consumption of Mediterranean diet significantly ameliorates insulin homoeostasis [120], leads to a favourable redistribution of LDL subclasses [121] and reduces adiponectin levels [122] only in men. The greater improvements in dietary intakes obtained in men with respect to women can explain, at least in part, these gender-related responses [123], but it is worth considering that gender differences in the remodelling, distribution and secretory activity of adipose tissue as well as the levels and ratio of androgenic and oestrogenic steroids may play a fundamental role in metabolism homoeostasis.…”

Differences between men and women in dietary intakes and metabolic profile in response to a 12-week nutritional intervention promoting the Mediterranean diet

“…In such a context, differences observed between men and women in response to the intervention refer more to sex than to gender differences ( 7 – 9 ) . In fact, in those types of studies the impact of the diet on metabolic variables measured can be influenced by sex-related factors such as sex hormones ( 10 ) and is not likely to be influenced by factors such as diet adherence that is in turn modulated by gender-related factors. A few studies have been performed to compare men and women in response to diet manipulations performed in controlled conditions.…”