Children of African descent, who have a genetic variant that reduces the production of leptin in the body, are at higher risk of being overweight. Leptin plays a key role in controlling children’s weight.
Children of African descent are at higher risk of developing obesity if they carry a genetic variant that reduces their ability to produce the hormone leptin, a recent study has found. Leptin plays a more important role in weight control in children than in adults.
The study
The study suggests that adults with the genetic variant are not at the same risk. The findings are from an international study by scientists at the University of Copenhagen, the University of Exeter, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and other institutions, who researched the role of genetics in the control of leptin levels.
Associate Professor Tuomas Kilpelainen from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at the University of Copenhagen said: “Our findings suggest that young children may be particularly sensitive to the effect of leptin on the control of their body weight.” It has long been determined that the hormone leptin is released by the body’s fatty tissue and tells the brain how much fat is stored in the body. The more body fat a person has, the more leptin is released into the body. The brain uses this information to regulate a person’s appetite and food intake.
Leptin levels vary among individuals; nevertheless, it has been found that about 10%- 20% of obese individuals have the same leptin levels as those of normal weight. This variation raises questions about the role of leptin in weight regulation.
The findings
In the research, published in the journal Diabetes, the scientists examined the genomes of more than 55,000 people for genetic variants that affect the levels of leptin. They identified five new genetic variants that play a role in the regulation of leptin levels. One of the variations, called Vel94Met, which reduces the amount of leptin the body produces, is only found in individuals of African descent. Young people with this variation are at higher risk of developing obesity, although this is not true for adults with the variation who tend to be of similar weight.
The future
This finding supports the theory that people become less sensitive to leptin with age. Administration of leptin to obese adults has been shown to be ineffective for weight control. Associate Professor Kilpelainen said that this new knowledge about the impact of leptin on weight control in young people now needs further studies to discover the molecular mechanisms underlying this age-dependent association between leptin and body mass index.
Link: https://www.sochob.cl/web1/la-obesidad-en-los-ninos-podria-deberse-a-una-variante-genetica-que-resulta-en-una-menor-produccion-de-leptina/
Date: December 11th, 2020
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com
Reference: Yaghootkar H, Zhang Y, Spracklen CN, et al. Genetic studies of leptin concentrations implicate leptin in the regulation of early adiposity. Diabetes 2020;69:2806-2818.
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