Objective: To investigate the association of plasma fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) with abdominal obesity and other metabolic indicators.
Methods: Sixty one people with abdominal obesity and 113 healthy controls were recruited. The stature, avoirdupois, waist circumference and blood pressure of the participants were measured. Serum lipid, glucose, insulin and plasma FGF-21 levels of those participants were also determined.
Results: 1) The participants with abdominal obesity had significantly higher FGF-21 levels than the healthy controls [(1.91 +/- 0.40) ng/mL vs. (1.75 +/- 0.45) ng/mL, P = 0.020]. 2) Plasma FGF-21 levels were positively associated with BMI (r = 0.24, P = 0.001), waist circumference (r = 0.16, P = 0.033), body fat contents (r = 0.24, P = 0.001), and triglycerides (r = 0.16, P = 0.036) after adjustment for age and sex. The multiple liner regression analysis identified BMI, waist circumference, body fat contents, and triglycerides as factors associated with FGF-21 (P < 0.05). 3) Plasma FGF-21 levels were found to be independently associated with abdominal obesity (OR = 2.413, 95% CI 1.115-5.221, P = 0.025).
Conclusion: FGF-21 is an independent risk factor for abdominal obesity. It is perhaps an important factor in the occurrence and development of abdominal obesity.