Abstract

Adipose tissue seems to be a pivotal organ in the aging process. We investigated whether healthy aging could have its roots in a sound metabolic condition from the first year of life by evaluating leptin and adiponectin levels in neonates [33 adequate for gestational age (AGA) and 29 small for gestational age (SGA)], 48 centenarians, and 50 healthy elderly subjects. At birth, SGA neonates showed lower leptin levels (SGA 0.88±0.28; AGA 2.22±0.91 ng/mL; p<0.05) and comparable adiponectin levels with respect to AGA. At 1 year, SGA showed increased leptin (SGA 1.74±0.28; AGA 1.31±0.19 ng/mL) and slightly reduced adiponectin concentrations (SGA 35.51±2.53; AGA 38.56±3.18 μg/mL) than AGA. Centenarians showed lower leptin (centenarians 18.71±3.78; elderly 34.81±7.27 ng/mL; p<0.05) and higher adiponectin levels (centenarians 55.63±7.7; elderly 33.51±4.1 μg/mL; p<0.05) than elderly subjects. Centenarians, like AGA infants during the first year of life, show a favorable adipokine profile, suggesting that the metabolic condition at early age could affect the longevity of an individual.