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The journey to conception is a long, difficult road...
Hormone Could Help Women Suffering From Infertility
Dr. Dean Edell
TOPIC: LEPTIN FOR INFERTILITY
INFERTILITY BACKGROUND: About 6 million people in the United States are affected by infertility.
Fertility depends on several factors, including a man's production of healthy sperm, a woman's
production of healthy eggs, unblocked fallopian tubes that allow the sperm to reach the egg, the
sperm's ability to fertilize the egg when they meet, the ability of the fertilized egg to become implanted
in the woman's uterus, and sufficient embryo quality. For the pregnancy to continue to full term, the
embryo must be healthy, and the woman's hormonal environment must be adequate for its
development.
CAUSES: About one-third of infertility cases can be attributed to male factors, another third can be
attributed to female factors, and the final third is linked to problems in both partners, or in about 20
percent of cases, is unexplained. The most common male causes of infertility is no or too few sperm
cells are produced. The most common female cause is an ovulation disorder.
WHAT IS LEPTIN? Leptin was first discovered in 1994. It is known for being an appetite and weight
regulation hormone. But leptin also functions to signal the brain and other organs about dangerous
states of very low energy availability. Leptin is produced by the body's fat tissue and is secreted into
the bloodstream in proportion to the amount of energy stored in fat. From there, it travels to the brain
where it communicates exactly how much energy is available. It thereby regulates several key
physiological functions that depend on adequate energy balance, including reproduction, metabolism,
and bone formation.
LEPTIN FOR INFERTILITY: Researchers have found leptin plays a critical role in women's
reproductive and neuroendocrine health. The hormone can potentially treat a number of conditions,
including exercise-induced bone loss, eating disorders -- and infertility. Women who have very low
body fat can have adversely affected reproductive and metabolic health. They may stop menstruating
and develop hypothalamic amenorrrhea. Their ovaries stop functioning and their levels of estrogen and
other reproductive hormones dramatically drop.
A LANDMARK STUDY: Researchers studied 14 female athletes who had stopped menstruating on
average five-and-a-half years before the start of the study. They had about 40-percent less body fat
than the average woman. Eight of the women received leptin, while the others served as controls.
After just three months of treatment, women receiving twice-daily leptin supplements resumed
menstrual periods, and their ovaries began to function normally. The hormone also significantly
improved bone density bone markers in the blood. No change was observed in the control group.
IMPLICATIONS: Leptin is not yet FDA approved and is still investigational. More studies are needed
to look at specific factors like dosing before leptin could be made available to the public.
RESEARCHING CENTERS: The two centers conducting this research are The Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital ... both in Boston.
Dr. Dean Edell
TOPIC: LEPTIN FOR INFERTILITY
INFERTILITY BACKGROUND: About 6 million people in the United States are affected by infertility.
Fertility depends on several factors, including a man's production of healthy sperm, a woman's
production of healthy eggs, unblocked fallopian tubes that allow the sperm to reach the egg, the
sperm's ability to fertilize the egg when they meet, the ability of the fertilized egg to become implanted
in the woman's uterus, and sufficient embryo quality. For the pregnancy to continue to full term, the
embryo must be healthy, and the woman's hormonal environment must be adequate for its
development.
CAUSES: About one-third of infertility cases can be attributed to male factors, another third can be
attributed to female factors, and the final third is linked to problems in both partners, or in about 20
percent of cases, is unexplained. The most common male causes of infertility is no or too few sperm
cells are produced. The most common female cause is an ovulation disorder.
WHAT IS LEPTIN? Leptin was first discovered in 1994. It is known for being an appetite and weight
regulation hormone. But leptin also functions to signal the brain and other organs about dangerous
states of very low energy availability. Leptin is produced by the body's fat tissue and is secreted into
the bloodstream in proportion to the amount of energy stored in fat. From there, it travels to the brain
where it communicates exactly how much energy is available. It thereby regulates several key
physiological functions that depend on adequate energy balance, including reproduction, metabolism,
and bone formation.
LEPTIN FOR INFERTILITY: Researchers have found leptin plays a critical role in women's
reproductive and neuroendocrine health. The hormone can potentially treat a number of conditions,
including exercise-induced bone loss, eating disorders -- and infertility. Women who have very low
body fat can have adversely affected reproductive and metabolic health. They may stop menstruating
and develop hypothalamic amenorrrhea. Their ovaries stop functioning and their levels of estrogen and
other reproductive hormones dramatically drop.
A LANDMARK STUDY: Researchers studied 14 female athletes who had stopped menstruating on
average five-and-a-half years before the start of the study. They had about 40-percent less body fat
than the average woman. Eight of the women received leptin, while the others served as controls.
After just three months of treatment, women receiving twice-daily leptin supplements resumed
menstrual periods, and their ovaries began to function normally. The hormone also significantly
improved bone density bone markers in the blood. No change was observed in the control group.
IMPLICATIONS: Leptin is not yet FDA approved and is still investigational. More studies are needed
to look at specific factors like dosing before leptin could be made available to the public.
RESEARCHING CENTERS: The two centers conducting this research are The Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital ... both in Boston.