Loss of Body Fat Linked to Low Levels of Leptin Protein

Low levels of leptin, a protein linked with the regulation of body fat, may be linked with insulin resistance and the development of fat loss in HIV-positive patients taking antiretroviral drugs, Harvard Medical School researchers reported in the March 15 edition of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Leptin levels in 120 study subjects were analyzed, and patients with the lowest mean levels of the protein were shown to have the highest incidence of lipoatrophy. 'It is possible that normalizing the low leptin levels of these patients by administering leptin exogenously in the form of injections may improve their insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia,' study author Christos Mantzoros told Reuters Health.