Active ghrelin levels across time and associations with leptin and anthropometrics in healthy ache Amerindian women of Paraguay

Active (acylated) ghrelin is a peptide hormone secreted primarily by the stomach, positively associated with fasting, orexigenic, and promotes growth hormone secretion. It is therefore important to energy intake management. The objective of this pilot research was to (1) compare active ghrelin with previous measurements of leptin and anthropometrics; (2) assess the consistency of active ghrelin across time in this population; (3) extend our understanding of potential population variation in active ghrelin. Two serum samples separated by 10 days at the same time between meals were collected from healthy Ache women (n = 12, mean age 32.2 ± 14.0 SD) to determine consistency over time, associations with leptin, and anthropmetric values. Mean active ghrelin was 72.9 ± 23.0 pg/ml, highly correlated (r² = 0.95, P < 0.0001) between collections, and showed no paired mean differences (P < 0.18). There was no significant correlation with leptin, age, or anthropometric measures. Active ghrelin appears to be consistent over time in this population, perhaps reflecting regimented meal schedules and less interpopulation variation compared to leptin.