How can I test leptin levels?

Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells that signals the brain when the body is saturated with food. Ideally, leptin levels should be low when measuring in the morning. Obese people almost always have a high level of molecules, but their brains do not recognize its signal to feel full and stop eating.

This compound was originally discovered in highly obese mice. The study of their genetics has found an obese gene whose product did not work in these mice. Leptin was then identified as a compound that was missing in these mutants. When the mice were treated with this molecule, they lost weight. This finding has provided a basis for a number of weight loss studies to determine whether treatment with this compound can help people accept weight.

Provide a sample to test leptin levels, blood is taken in the morning during fasting. Blood can be stored safely for seven days if it is cooled or two months if it is frozen. In addition to being tested by a physician, blood may be savedon commercial companies to perform this test.

Leptin levels are tested by a sensitive process called ELISA. The antibodies to the hormone are associated with an enzyme that changes color if leptin is present in the blood tested. It is possible to determine the exact amount of compound measured by this process. Leptin levels in women range from 3.9 to 30 ng/ml of blood, while in men it is lower at 0.5-12.7 ng/ml.

One of several things that this hormone does in mammals metabolism is to say the brain that the body has eaten enough food. When tests show low leptin levels, it suggests that the endocrine system works properly or that the appropriate amount of this enzyme is formed. High levels are a sign of search for an endocrinologist.

When such tests are performed in obese people, they are generally found to produce a large amount of this hormone, even in early morning tests on an empty stomach. Is assumedthat these patients suffer from leptin resistance in which their brains do not receive a signal that leptin levels are high. It is considered to be analogous to patients 2 diabetes. Some extremely obese people do not produce this hormone at all and can benefit from the injections of the molecules produced by genetic engineering and then lose weight.