Plasma neuropeptide Y and total- and LDL-cholesterol are closely correlated in women without evident relation to the metabolic syndrome.

To evaluate possible connections between neuropeptide Y (NPY), 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and markers of the metabolic syndrome, we performed a study in 113 women and 107 men, 18-70 years old, evenly age-distributed and randomly selected. Participation rate was 67%. Subjects on antihypertensive therapy were excluded. The mean plasma level of NPY was 144±17 pmol/L and the NPY levels correlated positively with age in women (r=0.20, P=0.03). In the total study population NPY correlated negatively with ABP (r= −0.18, P=0.02). NPY correlated positively with total- and LDL-cholesterol in women (r=0.39, p<0.0001 and R=0.35, P=0.001, respectively), and this correlation persisted when age was introduced as second independent variable in multiple regression analysis. NPY did not correlate with body-mass-index, waist/hip ratio or C-peptide but there was a positive correlation with plasma angiotensin II levels (r=0.21, P=0.002). We conclude that although NPY has appetite stimulating and vasoconstrictive properties it did not correlate with obesity indices, ABP or C-peptide in women. The strong positive correlation between LDL-cholesterol and NPY, independent of age and markers of the metabolic syndrome, makes it a possible gender-specific negative risk-marker.