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Hormone Linked to Absence of Periods in Women With Low Body Fat
Posted 11 Apr 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, April 8 – A lack of leptin contributes to the absence of menstrual periods in women with extremely low levels of body fat, but treatment with a synthetic form of the hormone may restore both the menstrual cycle and fertility, a new study indicates. Extremely low levels of body fat can occur in women who are unusually active, such as runners and dancers, and in those with eating disorders. These women are prone to the absence of periods (known to doctors as hypothalamic amenorrhea, or HA), which can lead to infertility and osteoporosis. Previous research found that women with HA have chronically low serum leptin levels. This new study, published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to offer definitive proof that a lack of leptin contributes to HA. The randomized, double-blind study included 20 women, ages 18 to 35, with HA. Many of them ... Read more
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