Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Exercise, Via Reduced Leptin Levels, in Obese Women with Down Syndrome.

Recent studies have reported that obese young people with Down syndrome suffer from low-grade systemic inflammation. Whereas this condition may be improved in the general population by regular exercise, the problem has received no attention in the case of people with intellectual disability. Therefore, our aim was to assess the influence of aerobic training on plasma adipokines in obese women with Down syndrome. Twenty obese young women with Down syndrome volunteered for this study, eleven of whom were randomly assigned to a 10-week aerobic training programme. They attended 3 sessions/week, which consisted of warm-up exercises followed by the main activity on a treadmill (30-40 min) at a work intensity of 55-65% of peak heart rate, and ended with a cooling-down period. The control group included 9 women with Down syndrome matched for age, sex and BMI. Fat mass percentage and distribution were measured and plasma adipokine levels (leptin and adiponectin) were assessed. In addition, each participant performed a maximal graded continuous treadmill exercise test. These parameters were assessed pre- and post-intervention. This protocol was approved by an Institutional Ethics Committee. Aerobic training produced a significant increase in participants' VO2max (20.2±5.8vs.23.7±6.3ml/kg/min;p<0.001), and plasma leptin levels were significantly reduced in the intervention group (54.2±6.7vs.45.7±6.1ng/ml;p=0.026). Further significant correlations between plasma leptin and indices of obesity were found. In contrast, no significant changes were found in adiponectin levels (p>0.05). None of tested parameters changed in the control group. In conclusion, a 10-week training programme reduced leptin levels in obese young women with Down syndrome.