Evidence of an association of leptin serum levels and craving in alcohol dependence.

Recent studies have described an association of leptin serum levels and craving in alcohol dependent patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate a large patients' sample using a power-based statistical analysis. We included 156 male and 33 female patients suffering from alcohol dependence admitted for detoxification treatment. Leptin serum levels were measured using a commercial ELISA kit. The Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) was used to assess alcohol craving at admission. For both genders Spearman's correlation revealed significant results. These findings could be confirmed using multiple linear regression models (males: r=1.881, t=4.338, p<0.001; females: r=6.160, t=5.793, p<0.001) with a power of 1.00. In contrast to previous results describing an association only in female patients, this power-based analysis shows that leptin is associated with alcohol craving in both genders.