Abstract
Hyperleptinemia is an essential feature of human obesity. Total body fat mass > % body fat > BMI are the best predictors of circulating leptin levels. Although ob gene is differentially expressed in different fat compartments, apart from total body fat, upper or lower body adiposity or visceral fat does not influence basal leptin levels. Similarly, age, basal glucose levels, and ethnicity do not influence circulating leptin levels. Only in insulin-sensitive individuals do basal levels of insulin and leptin correlate positively even after factoring in body fat. Diabetes does not influence leptin secretion in both lean and obese subjects per se. Independent of adiposity, leptin levels are higher in women than in men. This sexual dimorphism is also present in adolescent children. In eating disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimea nervosa, leptin levels are not upregulated but simply reflect BMI and probably body fat. In spite of strong correlation between body fat and leptin levels, there is great heterogeneity in leptin levels at any given index of body fat. About 5% of obese populations can be regarded as "relatively" leptin deficient which could benefit from leptin therapy. Leptin has dual regulation in human physiology. During t...Continue Reading
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Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric condition characterized by severe weight loss and secondary problems associated with malnutrition. Here is the latest research on AN.