Hormones, High Blood Pressure Linked

It seems hormones play a larger role in regulating body functions than researchers ever dreamed. A study from Japan, presented to the American Heart Association, shows there may be a link between leptin, a hormone that regulates body weight, and blood pressure.

Dr. Hideki Takizawa of Sapporo Medical University says earlier research showed blood levels of leptin were higher in normal-weight people with high blood pressure. A new study finds higher leptin levels also are found in overweight men with high blood pressure.

Researchers reason overweight individuals tend to have high leptin levels because their bodies cannot recognize or respond to the hormone. Weight loss leads to reduced blood pressure and leptin levels, but Takizawa says more study is needed to find out if lower leptin levels from weight loss can reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Takizawa says several things affect leptin levels, including the amount of "fat volume" a person has, because leptin is produced in fat cells. Other factors to be considered: whether the fat is near the skin or deeper in the body and whether insulin stimulates leptin production.

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